Classic Gardening

1. Our Lady's Ribbon, Phalaris arundinacea picta. This is theribbon grass, more commonly known as Gardeners' Garters. It wasone of the earliest of the ornamental grasses to be cultivated ingardens, and is the variegated form of the wild plant. 2. Our Lady's Thimble, Campanula rotundlfolia. This is theHarebell. It is a widely distributed wild flower, usually in shortgrass on poor soils. 3. Our Lady's Bedstraw, Galium verum. This was said to have beenthe bedding chosen by Our Lady to line the manger at Bethlehem. Itis a common hedgerow plant, especially on light soils. It smellsof new-mown hay. 4. Our Lady's Lace, Asperula odorata. Another name for Woodruff.It is fairly common in woodland places in England. It has lots oftiny delicate white flowers and also smells of new-mown hay. 5. Our Lady's Keys, Primula veris. These are Cowslips, which usedto be very common in England especially on poor, lime-stone soils.Now they are getting much rarer, so please do not dig up any youmay find! 6. Our Lady's Glove, Digitalis. The Foxglove, which has bothpoisonous and medicinal properties. The purple kind, a biennial,is a fairly common woodland plant, especially in the West ofEngland and Scotland and Wales. There are also handsome perennialkinds, but not wild. 7. Our Lady's Fingers, Anthyllis vulneraria. The other name is thekidney vetch. It is evenly distributed on chalk and limestone inmost parts of England. Though the colour is generally pale yellow,it sometimes appears with an orange tinge. Also known as Woundwortbecause of its healing properties. 8. Our Lady's Thumbs. This should be the wild Polygonumpersicaria, but as this is annual and loves to grow in wet placesanother polygonum (P. affine) has been planted instead. 9. Our Lady's Mantle, Alchemilla vulgaris. This is generally foundin rather shady places in England. The leaves are clothed withvery fine silky hairs on which raindrops can settle without wettingthe leaf. Possibly because of this it was likened to a goodwaterproof for the Blessed Virgin. 10. Our Lady's Shoes and Stockings, Lotus cornicuiatus. This is anold name for Bird's Foot Trefoil, a common wild plant on poor soil. 11. Our Lady's Bower, Trave11er's Joy. The wild Clematis vitalba,would be far too rampant here, so Clematis recta whose flowers arevery like it has been substituted. The wild Traveller's Joy isvery common on chalky soils, and is beautiful both in flower and(as Old Man's Beard) in the seed which lasts throughout the winter. 12. Our Lady's Taper or Candle. This is the mullein, one of thewild biennial verbascums. V. Chalixii, which is normally a perennial,has been included as well. 13. Our Lady's Earrings. This must be a more recent appellationfor the fuchsia is a native of the New World. 14. The Madonna Lily, Lilium candidum. It is often called the Lilyof Annunciation, for it has been included in the pictures of thatevent from earliest times and throughout Christendom. It waspossibly introduced by the Crusaders. 15. Our Lady's Hair. This name used to be given to the ferngenerally called Maiden's Hair or just Maidenhair (Adiantumcapillis-veneris) - though Venus seems to have usurped the name inLatin. The true maidenhair is not hardy, except in mild climateslike Ireland, so a hardy substitute (A venustum) is used here. 16. Another version of Our Lady's Hair is this perennial quakinggrass (Briza media) which is common in England on chalk downs andlimestone pastures. 17. Rosemary. Though the 'mary' part of the name had nothing to dowith the Blessed Virgin (the botanical name is Rosmarinus), thepale blue flowers are said to have taken their colour from OurLady's veil when she spread it over a bush of rosemary. 18. (a) and (b). The Rose. For centuries the rose has beenassociated traditionally and pictorially with the Blessed VirginMary, who was sometimes known as the Mystic Rose. There are, ofcourse, countless very ancient roses, both wild and cultivated.Here, 18 (a) the Old Blush China, or Monthly Rose, has been chosenbecause of its very long flowering season; while 18 (b) is thenative sweet briar, (Rosa rubiginosa) and is here for the sake ofblind visitors. 'The Wide Expanding Rose of Divine Charity' ismentioned in the "Sarum Primer". 19. Our Lady's Tears, Convalaria majalis. The Lily-of-the-valley,which is sometimes found wild in woods in England. 20. Our Lady's Seal, Polygonatum multiflorum. Otherwise known asSolomon's Seal, it is occasionally found wild in England,especially on chalky soils. 21. The Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum. It is called this becausethe white veins on the leaves were supposed to have been caused bythe spilling of Our Lady's milk. 22. Costmary, Chrysanthemum balsamita. Known in German asFrauenmunze, it is a sweet-smelling herb used mainly for flavouringdrinks, and is sometimes called the Herb of the Madonna. 23. Sainfoin, Onobrychis sativa. 'Saint foin', the Holy Hay, issaid to have been used in the stable at Bethlehem. It is sometimesgrown as a pulse crop on farms but is also found wild on chalkysoils, mainly in the south east. 24. The Christmas Rose, Heleborus niger. This was said to haveflowered on Christmas Day to honour the birth of Our Lord. 25. The Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum. This isincluded for obvious reasons. It is also probably the 'Doves'dung' referred to in 2 Kings 6:25, so called because of thewhiteness of its flowers. The text describes a famine, and whenfood was short the bulbs may have been eaten instead of onions, towhich this plant is a near relation. 26. Candlemas Bells or Our Lady's Bells, Galanthus nivalis. Theseare snowdrops, which flower at the time of the feast of Candlemas(or Purification of Our Lady) which falls on February 2nd. 27. Mary and Joseph, Pulmonana officinalis. Lungwort has blueflowers (for Mary) and often red buds and sometimes flowers (forJoseph}. 28. The Marigold or Mary's Gold. Probably the common Calendula isindicated, which grows wild in Mediterranean countries. Itrepresents the golden rays of glory that are often shown round theBlessed Virgin's Head and is, broadly speaking, in flower at allthe chief festivals of Our Lady. 29. The Juniper is said to have offered shade and to have hiddenthe Holy Family during the Flight into Egypt. 30. Our Lady's Pincushion, Armeria maritima. This is the sea-pink,or thrift, which is common in seaside places throughout the BritishIsles. 31. The Maiden Pink, Dianthus deltoides. This may have been socalled because in some medieval legends, the 'gilly-flower' orpink was considered a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is ascarce British native and likes limestone escarpments. 32. Our Lady's Eyes, Myosotis. The forget-me-not of which thereare several wild sorts, some beautiful and some insignificant. 33. Our Lady's Needlework. Saxafraga umbrosa. London Pride is verywell known in gardens and is sometimes found wild in damp shadyplaces. 34. Our Lady's Modesty. This is the violet, which is well known asan emblem of both modesty and humility. St. Bernard described OurLady as 'the Violet of Humility'. 35. The Virgin's Flower, Vinca minor. The periwinkle, wassometimes known by this name - perhaps because of its bluestar-like flowers which may have a connection with Stella Maris asa name for the Blessed Virgin. 36. The Herb of the Madonna, Cymbalaria majalis. This ivy leafedtoadflax was sometimes given this name together with Costmary (No.22). In Italy it is the 'Erba della Madonna'. It is probably nota native of England but must have been introduced a very long timeago and is now common on old walls and ruins.

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