A place of refuge, a sanctuary, a quiet spot to commune with our creator. I LOVE how your videos tell a story. I thank God each day for my garden. Outdoors is where I’m at peace and most feel God’s presence. Thank you for sharing.
I call my gardens The Sanctuary. I lost my hubs two years ago and we gardened together for more than 40 years. Now it's my joy and goal to make everything as beautiful as I can. I love your videos, thank you.
Beautiful! I also take great joy in making my garden a beautiful and restful place. As I'm getting older, I'm transitioning into planting more shrubs, trees and groundcovers. Lower maintenance is the goal.
Jim Putnam recently toured a garden where they addressed ground covers. First on his list was dichondra silver falls! Yes, the annual grown in the ground. It really took off and no weed would dare grow amongst it. In northern climates it dies off at season end when temperatures drop. I'm going to get some and try that. I already have it in tall containers.
@@harrietwoodward It can grow in shade or sunny locations and requires a medium amount of water. It doesn't like to dry out from my experience. It is pretty tough.
Yes, we all need that special place to go and relax with Mother Nature I am going to make myself a small spot I was just in the garden with new shrubs just for that purpose. Thank you for your inspiration.
So beautiful! As a Catholic, I have thought about creating a Mary garden but never have. Now, with your inspirational plan, I definitely will. Mine will not be stunning like yours, but I think it will become a place of peace and prayer. Many thanks!
I often see my Catholic friends have A beautiful small garden with a typical Grotto built, inspired from Mother Marys Apparition to Sant Bernadette in Lourdes France 1850's, with plants and flowers around and a bench to sit and pray. Such peace. Have the statue blessed if you can, this brings a special grace with Marys gentle motherly presence. Saying that, I cant wait to build my grotto garden also. All the best. Roses & Lillys growing near by is traditional.
Everyone’s Mary garden will be beautiful, it will be unique to your own taste, available space and budget. This gives me some ideas to think about a retreat area for next year.
As another Catholic (English), I am very familiar with grotto and shrine garden spaces in convents and around churches. You often see them on roadsides in Spain and Italy too. My main income is from work as a gardener and I thank God every day that He prompted me to quit office work, just over a year ago, to do this full time. Within a week, He'd arranged a full diary of regular business! it is a privilege and a joy to serve people and His creation as a steward in this creative work. It has also often proved an opportunity to minister to others and, sometimes, be ministered to. Better still, I don't have to pay to go to a gym! I was delighted , several years ago, to be asked to designed a proposal for the refurbishment of a neglected Grade 2 listed monastery garden. Such a project is a beautiful way to connect community groups, teach how to care for the earth and why, create prayer and meditation spaces, nourish our bodies with a kitchen garden and use the garden as a place to demonstrate about the existence of God. One thought crossed my mind about your "Mary garden". We are used to thinking about these with reference to the Blessed Virgin. However, if one thinks of the account of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), we can consider a Mary garden as a place to "be a Mary", sitting at the feet of Christ, attentive, quiet, open to His word. Thank you so much for posting for this. I do actively connect my faith with my work but it has been very encouraging to watch and listen to your video as a reminder and inspiration that my work can offer more than just looking after pretty flowers.
Sue, This touched my heart. Monastic gardens are my favorite. The sense of peace and the feeling of stepping back in time always comforts me. As a person of faith, I feel a real connection to God in a garden like this. You did a beautiful job. You made a little bit of heaven on earth. Blessings to you.
Because of you, I started taking gardening more seriously. Work was getting more and more stressful and the dirt, plants and birds take it away. This is only my 2nd season in Michigan but I feel more confident because of your videos. Thank you
Love it! As soon as I saw your Mary garden I sent a screenshot of the Mary statue planting to my parish priest. He gave me the go ahead immediately. So, we’ll have a Mary garden inspired by yours very soon. I even have all the plants ready to divide and move there in my own garden. Thank you so much for the inspiration.
That is so cool! I would love to see a photo when you are done. Maybe I can post it on the Community tab if you are willing to share it. If not, that is totally fine. I am so glad to hear your plans. Thanks for sharing that.
its so peaceful!! i planted a wall of sunflowers this year to close off our yard and have put many more flowers in all over. mornings are spent in a chair with coffee and a bible sitting in the garden. it's my favorite place!
@@GardenMoxie not yet but they have all sprouted! the neighbors call me the sunflower lady..4 years in a row i've planted a bunch of them. they are my favorites!
I love your peaceful and beautiful Mary garden. Seeing the contrast of Mary by herself at the beginning, and then surrounded by lush plants, that’s so inspiring!
Hi Sue, Your Mary Garden is so beautiful 💙 You’ve worked so hard making it a quiet and peaceful place to honor her. I am planning my Mary garden and you have given me lots of inspiration, Thank You
Thank you so much! How exciting that you are planning your Mary garden too. I would love to see photos if you every feel like sharing them. Thanks for your note.
You have said it all! We all need this kind of a garden or space that we can just Pray and meditate without all the stress of our world.! I love this video. I started my prayer garden during Covid. I absolutely love my garden and do many others. ! Thank you so very muchl!
Oh yes , could not agree more ! That garden is sooo beautiful and I loved seeing it over time ! I try to create that feeling in all my gardens , thinking on how God first made a garden and then placed us there....😊 Thank you for sharing this 💙
Yes I thoroughly agree that we all need spaces like that! I had never heard of a Mary garden until your video. I am in the midst of designing little seating areas in my garden bc I like to rest, reflect and recharge whilst sitting looking at all my hard work, seeing the birds, etc, etc. It is so good for the soul and I am so blessed to have a garden.
My garden is my peaceful place. I agree that now more than ever we need places in nature to help us stay calm. I love your Mary garden. I have a woodland garden Pacific Northwest style where a St Francis statue holds a humble place of honor among the trees and shrubs. Thanks for sharing your garden and your thoughts. ❤
My garden is my happy place. Love being in it. Lots of praying and reflection happen while I am on my knees pulling weeds! I also play “I Come to the Garden Alone” acapella by Courtney Alina on my phone. I am brought to tears every single time I hear that song and the verse about the birds hushing their singing!
Watching your videos is MY personal sanctuary. Your voice is so soothing, too. I love seeing the progress photos. Gardening (or landscaping) is a process.
Wow, thank you! I love looking at the old photos too. It's fun. Sometimes I forget what it looked like when I started and only think about what is "wrong". Do you ever have that problem with your garden?
@@GardenMoxie Constantly! I'm in the process of renovating a very overgrown garden and adding hardscaping. Neighbors would compliment my weed-filled garden. What, are they blind?! Even in retirement, when it would seem I have plenty of time, I can't gain enough momentum to complete projects quickly.
A little trivia: the courtyard gardens in cloisters and convents were designed for prayer/meditation but also to imitate and symbolize the garden of Eden. I learned that in Spain when visiting a convent-kinda neat! Thank you for sharing your garden with us. I look forward to watching your videos they are so inspiring!
I love your garden and the way you tell a story. I have always loved secluded gardens. You can find beautiful gardens inside government buildings in Mexico City, where I once lived for three years. Whenever I felt tired of sightseeing, I would find refuge in one of those gardens. God has put the desire to create beauty in our soul.
Gardening has always been spiritual for me. Connecting me to Gods creation in a way nothing else does. Except babies and children! One of my best friends has a prayer bench in her garden . I believe everyone benefits from being in nature on so many levels. it is a necessity for me. Thank you so much for sharing your garden and thoughts with us. If I did not live in Oklahoma , you would find me on your doorstep for a visit❤
I love your Mary garden. It is peaceful and tranquil. I love how gardens are places that we can commune with God. It’s like echoes of Eden. Thanks for sharing your beautiful space.
Yes I agree - a prayerful/contemplative space is important. As I continue to create garden spaces I will keep this in mind. I think I’ll do some research on monastery gardens as well. Thanks
I don’t follow any traditional religion anymore, however I was raised Catholic. Some years ago I purchased a small Mary statue for my mother that stayed on her dresser for the last years of her life. When her priest came to give her her last rites, he saw Mary and also blessed her for us. Mary is now in my garden, I built her a small grotto reminiscent of those you’d find in the Venetto region, and I talk to her and Mum regularly as I wander throughout the garden that I know my Mother would have loved. This is my sanctuary, place of retreat, calming and meditation.
Thank you for sharing that video with us. I love my gardens, which are a work in progress. I find weeding to be meditative and peaceful. i enjoy learning about gardening skills and successfully planing my garden. I sometimes have to reverse plan my garden and that's ok; it is a learning process. My garden isn't yet a place where i specifically sit near, or in and contemplate spirituality, but i do often think and say how wonderful our earth is, and the plants and animals we enjoy are a gift and a delight. thank you again for your videos and just for being you .
I completely and utterly agree with your sentiment there. I’m not a particularly religious person but I’ve always felt that we all need some connection with nature to feel human. After all, we came from nature, the sea, the land and finally ended up with us! We are nature, nature is us….we need it to be close to us as much as we need oxygen. Without seeing the natural world up close we just become depressed and lonely. That’s why we feel joy in seeing plants grow or looking at waves crashing on a beach. We are happy as we are made from the same stuff. Our ancestors understood this much better than most of us. 💚🧡
I loved walking through your garden with you! Your "Mary Garden" is beautiful. You have done such a great job! I agree with you 💯%, gardens are a great place to reflect on God's beautiful creation and for prayer! God bless you!
Yes I agree , we do need a special place to hide out from the world ..even if it’s only for a little while during the day . I absolutely love your garden, it’s one of my favorites on UA-cam. It’s simple yet , so calming & dreamy . Would be a beautiful place to get married .. it’s just perfect ! ❤
Thanks so much for your note. I appreciate you being here. I love hiding from the world every now and again don't you? And the garden is a perfect place for that.
I have a shaded corner in the back end of our yard. It is cool, and a slight breeze blows almost all the time. I cleared it out, and now ferns and violets are growing in. I have moss filling in, as well. This gives me a feeling of peace. There is a wild strawberry border leading down into the shaded area. It is a work in progress, but I haven't bought anything, as of yet. I get my most enjoyment and peace being outside in my gardens.
What a lovely story. I taught art history for years and always covered Mary Gardens when I talked about the late Middle Ages. As a non-religious gardener, I also appreciate and believe like you that these spaces can offer refuge. Mine sure does! Thank you for the detail of your creation. Enjoyed it very much!
Thanks so much and thanks for sharing your story of teaching history. That is so interesting. I bet you can teach some great lessons about garden history which is a subject I love!
I love Sanctuary Gardens and your Mary garden is so beautifully designed. KUDOS! I've contemplated a Mary Garden with the Blue Madonna or a Yuan Yin but it really requires its own garden room or at least a private Secret Garden corner. A space for quiet reflection away from Party Central, the Tropical Garden, the Potager and the Wildlife Habitat. I'd love to combine it with a Celtic (knot) design, a gravel path, birdbath, all evergreen except for a lot of white (moon garden) and a bit of soft pink, sky blue and the odd creamy yellow... Our neighbor has a lovely Mary Statue out front, lit up and always surrounded by pretty flowers. How wonderful that you inspired @angelacross2216 to re-create your Mary Garden at her church - ya never know whose lives you touch!:)
Beautiful idea, beautiful garden! I appreciate the photos over time that you share because they prove to me that garden making is an exploration of trial and error, and that takes time. Patience is so important in gardening!
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing the process, enjoy the before and after photos. We are in our 9th season and it is astonishing to see our photos over the years and say "look how little the blue spruce is here, or birch trees :)".
Thank you. I know exactly what you mean. I am trying to be more aware of taking lots of photos from similar locations in the garden during the growing season to keep track of the changes. I love looking at the old photos to see how far you've come.
loved this. im doing something similar but as a single mum and carer for my disabled daughter im attempting it on £0 and just imagination. lovely to see what you can do with a budget though. your garden is gorgeous. much love from my magic garden here in England to you and yours. ❤
Thanks so much. It's amazing to me how far you can go with a little imagination. It sounds like you have a wonderful project under way. Thanks for sharing your story. I bet your daughter is very excited too!
I Love 💕 the Mary Garden , thank you for showing it to us , I can see how it is a special place for you , very peaceful. About those Lily Beetles , they devour a lily in no time at all , so destructive. I have a nice patch of Asiatic lilies close to my deck and the bugs haven’t found them yet , keeping my fingers crossed
Thanks for checking out the video. I am glad to hear your lilies are safe. It is unbelievable how destructive those little red beetles are. I tried a couple season of putting them in soapy water and destroying the eggs, but I was spending more time doing that than enjoying my garden. I made the decision to get rid of the lilies. I miss them, but that's ok.
I 100% agree and when I look at nature I wonder……. How could one look at perfection and not believe in God? I am by no means judging. Thank you so much for sharing your Mary garden. 🙏🙏🙏
What a beautiful, private, peaceful space you have developed. You describe what you are trying to create in a garden in such a calm & serene way, you are a wonderful story teller. It must have been disappointing to have to remove the white lilies they were stunning.
Thanks so much. I was heart broken about those lilies. I tried for a couple seasons to manage the beetles, but it was taking too much time. They looked so beautiful. The garden is looking a bit rough now, but you know how that goes...you just have to keep trying new things until you find a good replacement. Thank you for your note. I appreciate it.
So beautiful! Love visiting beautiful gardens at Catholic Churches. There is one beautiful garden at the Grotto in Portland, Oregon if you’re ever there you should see it! Love your garden. Pretty new to your channel and love our Blessed Mother and love how she is beautifully placed in yours ❤️
Thank you and thanks for the tip about the Grotto in Portland. Oregon has such great growing conditions I bet it is stunning. Don't you love visiting new gardens?
We absolutely need a tranquil place, it's a must for me and I couldn't be without my garden. I have some health issues, but I do what I can; the time goes by quickly when working and I am all the better for it. Your Mary garden is so peaceful.
I have a garden that is set up for walking meditations. It is a circle of pavers. The center has a huge oak tree and statuary. Agreed, it is lovely to have sacred places in your garden plan.
Thank you. I've been removing a few invasive plants from my garden too. I know how you feel. I just do a little at a time. Thanks for watching the video. Happy gardening!
I changed garden zones and am now dealing with toxic and invasive plants and vines. Just do one bit, or one bed at a time, and tell yourself: "It looks better than it did before!" Over time, we will conquer!
I'm trying to create a garden dedicated to my grandma who raise me. She loved flowers and would walk among her flowers singing n praying for us. 7 kids she took in after my mother passed away due to cancer. I love seeing the beauty of God!
A private garden for contemplation, prayer and meditation is a wonderful concept. Thanks for sharing!
It really is! Thanks for watching. I am noticing that I am spending more and more time outside these days too. How about you?
A place of refuge, a sanctuary, a quiet spot to commune with our creator. I LOVE how your videos tell a story. I thank God each day for my garden. Outdoors is where I’m at peace and most feel God’s presence. Thank you for sharing.
I totally agree Peggy. Well said! Thanks for watching.
I call my gardens The Sanctuary. I lost my hubs two years ago and we gardened together for more than 40 years. Now it's my joy and goal to make everything as beautiful as I can. I love your videos, thank you.
Love that! I am sorry about your husband. I bet your garden is the perfect sanctuary.
I have a Mary statue on my patio. I love praying my today there. Your area is beautiful!!🌸
That is a great idea to have a Mary statue on your patio. I love that. Thanks for your note.
Beautiful. Yes it is great to have such a great place to relax and meditate. Love it!
Thanks for watching. Aren't you glad we have our gardens?
Beautiful! I also take great joy in making my garden a beautiful and restful place. As I'm getting older, I'm transitioning into planting more shrubs, trees and groundcovers. Lower maintenance is the goal.
Thank you. You sound like me with going more low maintenance. That gives you more time to enjoy the garden too, right?
Jim Putnam recently toured a garden where they addressed ground covers. First on his list was dichondra silver falls! Yes, the annual grown in the ground.
It really took off and no weed would dare grow amongst it. In northern climates it dies off at season end when temperatures drop. I'm going to get some and try that. I already have it in tall containers.
@@Edu_Kate Thanks for sharing that Kate. I will need to check that out.
Your Mary Garden is such inspiration! So peaceful and filled with the Holy Spirit! Thanks for sharing and God Bless! 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks so much!
I am Catholic and have my Mary statue in our garden. Our garden wouldn't be complete without her! ❤
That is fantastic. Thanks for being here and thanks for your note.
Wow I love this. So beautiful. I think of my small backyard the same way. Can you tell me about the best growing conditions for the Lamium? Thanks
@@harrietwoodward It can grow in shade or sunny locations and requires a medium amount of water. It doesn't like to dry out from my experience. It is pretty tough.
Yes, we all need that special place to go and relax with Mother Nature I am going to make myself a small spot I was just in the garden with new shrubs just for that purpose. Thank you for your inspiration.
Nature is the best, isn't it? It calms me right down.
So beautiful! As a Catholic, I have thought about creating a Mary garden but never have. Now, with your inspirational plan, I definitely will. Mine will not be stunning like yours, but I think it will become a place of peace and prayer. Many thanks!
What a great idea! Thanks so much for your kind note.
I often see my Catholic friends have A beautiful small garden with a typical Grotto built, inspired from Mother Marys Apparition to Sant Bernadette in Lourdes France 1850's, with plants and flowers around and a bench to sit and pray. Such peace. Have the statue blessed if you can, this brings a special grace with Marys gentle motherly presence.
Saying that, I cant wait to build my grotto garden also. All the best. Roses & Lillys growing near by is traditional.
@@CatholicSaintslayIncorrupt That sounds wonderful!
Everyone’s Mary garden will be beautiful, it will be unique to your own taste, available space and budget. This gives me some ideas to think about a retreat area for next year.
As another Catholic (English), I am very familiar with grotto and shrine garden spaces in convents and around churches. You often see them on roadsides in Spain and Italy too. My main income is from work as a gardener and I thank God every day that He prompted me to quit office work, just over a year ago, to do this full time. Within a week, He'd arranged a full diary of regular business! it is a privilege and a joy to serve people and His creation as a steward in this creative work. It has also often proved an opportunity to minister to others and, sometimes, be ministered to. Better still, I don't have to pay to go to a gym! I was delighted , several years ago, to be asked to designed a proposal for the refurbishment of a neglected Grade 2 listed monastery garden. Such a project is a beautiful way to connect community groups, teach how to care for the earth and why, create prayer and meditation spaces, nourish our bodies with a kitchen garden and use the garden as a place to demonstrate about the existence of God.
One thought crossed my mind about your "Mary garden". We are used to thinking about these with reference to the Blessed Virgin. However, if one thinks of the account of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), we can consider a Mary garden as a place to "be a Mary", sitting at the feet of Christ, attentive, quiet, open to His word.
Thank you so much for posting for this. I do actively connect my faith with my work but it has been very encouraging to watch and listen to your video as a reminder and inspiration that my work can offer more than just looking after pretty flowers.
Sue, This touched my heart. Monastic gardens are my favorite. The sense of peace and the feeling of stepping back in time always comforts me. As a person of faith, I feel a real connection to God in a garden like this. You did a beautiful job. You made a little bit of heaven on earth. Blessings to you.
Thanks so much for your kind note. I know exactly how you feel.
Because of you, I started taking gardening more seriously. Work was getting more and more stressful and the dirt, plants and birds take it away. This is only my 2nd season in Michigan but I feel more confident because of your videos. Thank you
Hello fellow Michigan gardener! Isn't the garden the best way to deal with work stress? Thanks for being here.
Love it! As soon as I saw your Mary garden I sent a screenshot of the Mary statue planting to my parish priest. He gave me the go ahead immediately. So, we’ll have a Mary garden inspired by yours very soon. I even have all the plants ready to divide and move there in my own garden. Thank you so much for the inspiration.
That is so cool! I would love to see a photo when you are done. Maybe I can post it on the Community tab if you are willing to share it. If not, that is totally fine. I am so glad to hear your plans. Thanks for sharing that.
@@GardenMoxie I’ll give it a try. I’ve done so many projects without before and after pics. Good idea, thanks again.
its so peaceful!! i planted a wall of sunflowers this year to close off our yard and have put many more flowers in all over. mornings are spent in a chair with coffee and a bible sitting in the garden. it's my favorite place!
That sounds amazing...a wall of sunflowers? Are they blooming now?
@@GardenMoxie not yet but they have all sprouted! the neighbors call me the sunflower lady..4 years in a row i've planted a bunch of them. they are my favorites!
@@RealLifeMama24 They are one of my favorite flowers. Such happy plants!
Love the peacefulness and serenity that was created.
Thanks so much.
Yes Yes Yes!!! We need it now more than ever! We all need a place of quiet and solitude. Thanks for sharing!
I couldn't agree more. Thanks for your note.
I love your peaceful and beautiful Mary garden. Seeing the contrast of Mary by herself at the beginning, and then surrounded by lush plants, that’s so inspiring!
Thank you so much!
Thank you. A lovely garden and a special place in which one can peacefully connect with our loving, merciful God. Beautiful design.
Thanks so much!
Really enjoyed you explaining how you created your beautiful Mary Garden, the colour palette is very subtle and calming.
Thank you so much!
Love your “Mary Garden”. It is such a beautiful, peaceful, calming idea!
Thanks so much.
❤Amen! I AGREE WITH YOU 💯 %. I AM A CHILD OF GOD. I LOVE being in my garden just being at peace with God. Amen🙏🙏🙏
Gardens are the best! You are so right!
@@GardenMoxie 🙏❣️😇👌
Hi Sue, Your Mary Garden is so beautiful 💙 You’ve worked so hard making it a quiet and peaceful place to honor her. I am planning my Mary garden and you have given me lots of inspiration, Thank You
Thank you so much! How exciting that you are planning your Mary garden too. I would love to see photos if you every feel like sharing them. Thanks for your note.
@@GardenMoxie I will take before and after photos,,,she will definitely be in a shady area and I’d love to do similar plantings like your garden💙
@@SuzanneTLC I'm totally psyched to see the photos. Awesome!
Lovely to hear the back story of your Mary garden. It looks so peaceful.
Thanks so much. It is a nice quiet place. I seem to need quiet more and more these days.
You have said it all! We all need this kind of a garden or space that we can just Pray and meditate without all the stress of our world.! I love this video. I started my prayer garden during Covid. I absolutely love my garden and do many others. ! Thank you so very muchl!
Absolutely!! Gardens are the best, aren't they?
Beautiful video, Sue. Agreed, finding a space to pause and give thanks to the creator is so part of gardening.
Absolutely! Thanks for checking out the video Jo-Ann.
Yes you have a perfect place for prayer, meditation, and gratitude. Well done.
Thank you Carol.
Oh yes , could not agree more ! That garden is sooo beautiful and I loved seeing it over time ! I try to create that feeling in all my gardens , thinking on how God first made a garden and then placed us there....😊 Thank you for sharing this 💙
So well said. Thank for your note.
Yes I thoroughly agree that we all need spaces like that! I had never heard of a Mary garden until your video. I am in the midst of designing little seating areas in my garden bc I like to rest, reflect and recharge whilst sitting looking at all my hard work, seeing the birds, etc, etc. It is so good for the soul and I am so blessed to have a garden.
I know exactly how you feel about your garden. It sounds like you are creating a very special place. It's nice to have some peace and quiet time.
My garden is my peaceful place. I agree that now more than ever we need places in nature to help us stay calm. I love your Mary garden. I have a woodland garden Pacific Northwest style where a St Francis statue holds a humble place of honor among the trees and shrubs. Thanks for sharing your garden and your thoughts. ❤
Thank you. Your woodland garden sounds like a garden I would love. I just love being outside don't you?
That"s what I long for to have, Mary"s garden ,a serene place to pray and meditate. I love and admire your garden so much.
Thanks so much. We are lucky to have gardens, aren't we?
I have 2 Marys, St. Francis,, and a large angel surrounded by greenery in my AZ zone 9 garden. They bring me so much peace and serenity.
That sounds wonderful. Thanks for your note.
My garden is my happy place. Love being in it. Lots of praying and reflection happen while I am on my knees pulling weeds! I also play “I Come to the Garden Alone” acapella by Courtney Alina on my phone. I am brought to tears every single time I hear that song and the verse about the birds hushing their singing!
Thanks for sharing the name of that song. I am definitely going to check it out.
I totally agree with Sue 🥰 peace and tranquillity is a must in the garden 🥰
Thanks Jasmine. And getting to see the little critters in the garden is a bonus, isn't it?
Marian gardens are very peaceful. Yours is too!❤
Thanks so much.
Watching your videos is MY personal sanctuary. Your voice is so soothing, too.
I love seeing the progress photos. Gardening (or landscaping) is a process.
Wow, thank you! I love looking at the old photos too. It's fun. Sometimes I forget what it looked like when I started and only think about what is "wrong". Do you ever have that problem with your garden?
@@GardenMoxie
Constantly!
I'm in the process of renovating a very overgrown garden and adding hardscaping. Neighbors would compliment my weed-filled garden.
What, are they blind?!
Even in retirement, when it would seem I have plenty of time, I can't gain enough momentum to complete projects quickly.
A little trivia: the courtyard gardens in cloisters and convents were designed for prayer/meditation but also to imitate and symbolize the garden of Eden. I learned that in Spain when visiting a convent-kinda neat! Thank you for sharing your garden with us. I look forward to watching your videos they are so inspiring!
Thanks for sharing that. That is a great piece of trivia and that totally makes sense, doesn't it?
Love your Mary garden! A perfect spot to reflect and count your blessings. 🙏🏻💙🤍
Thank you so much! It's the perfect spot for reflection.
An enormous AMEN to everything said and done...
Amen indeed. Thanks for watching!
I love your garden and the way you tell a story. I have always loved secluded gardens. You can find beautiful gardens inside government buildings in Mexico City, where I once lived for three years. Whenever I felt tired of sightseeing, I would find refuge in one of those gardens.
God has put the desire to create beauty in our soul.
Thank you. I love that story about Mexico City. Thanks for sharing that.
Your soothing voice and description of your garden is good for my health. Thank you for all your videos and updates.
Thanks so much for your kind note.
Gardening has always been spiritual for me. Connecting me to Gods creation in a way nothing else does. Except babies and children! One of my best friends has a prayer bench in her garden . I believe everyone benefits from being in nature on so many levels. it is a necessity for me. Thank you so much for sharing your garden and thoughts with us. If I did not live in Oklahoma , you would find me on your doorstep for a visit❤
Thanks so much for your note. It's so nice meeting like minded gardeners, isn't it?
I love your Mary garden. It is peaceful and tranquil. I love how gardens are places that we can commune with God. It’s like echoes of Eden. Thanks for sharing your beautiful space.
Thanks for your note. I love that notion of Eden. Isn't gardening the best?
Yes I agree - a prayerful/contemplative space is important. As I continue to create garden spaces I will keep this in mind. I think I’ll do some research on monastery gardens as well. Thanks
I love those cloistered gardens. Thanks for your note.
Your Mary Garden is beautiful and so serene! You just gave me inspiration for an area of my yard that I’ve been pondering over. Thanks!!
Thanks so much. Good luck with your new garden area.
Just watching this video was a calm retreat! Thank you .
What a nice thing to say. You made my day!
Love it! Love those old fashioned garden rooms. ❤
Thank you and thanks for your note.
I don’t follow any traditional religion anymore, however I was raised Catholic. Some years ago I purchased a small Mary statue for my mother that stayed on her dresser for the last years of her life. When her priest came to give her her last rites, he saw Mary and also blessed her for us.
Mary is now in my garden, I built her a small grotto reminiscent of those you’d find in the Venetto region, and I talk to her and Mum regularly as I wander throughout the garden that I know my Mother would have loved. This is my sanctuary, place of retreat, calming and meditation.
Such a great story. Thanks so much for sharing that.
Thank you for sharing that video with us. I love my gardens, which are a work in progress. I find weeding to be meditative and peaceful. i enjoy learning about gardening skills and successfully planing my garden. I sometimes have to reverse plan my garden and that's ok; it is a learning process.
My garden isn't yet a place where i specifically sit near, or in and contemplate spirituality, but i do often think and say how wonderful our earth is, and the plants and animals we enjoy are a gift and a delight. thank you again for your videos and just for being you .
Thanks for your note Charles. Isn't weeding a peaceful chore? My friends think I'm nuts, but I don't mind weeding at all.
The sweet little bird in the birdbath was the perfect touch to end the video...lovely stuff! Love your choices!! 🥰🌷🦋
Thanks so much. I love seeing those little birds in the garden. Especially the chickadees.
I completely and utterly agree with your sentiment there. I’m not a particularly religious person but I’ve always felt that we all need some connection with nature to feel human. After all, we came from nature, the sea, the land and finally ended up with us! We are nature, nature is us….we need it to be close to us as much as we need oxygen. Without seeing the natural world up close we just become depressed and lonely. That’s why we feel joy in seeing plants grow or looking at waves crashing on a beach. We are happy as we are made from the same stuff. Our ancestors understood this much better than most of us. 💚🧡
Thanks so much for watching the video and for your note.
I loved walking through your garden with you! Your "Mary Garden" is beautiful. You have done such a great job! I agree with you 💯%, gardens are a great place to reflect on God's beautiful creation and for prayer! God bless you!
Gardens are the best!
Yes I agree , we do need a special place to hide out from the world ..even if it’s only for a little while during the day . I absolutely love your garden, it’s one of my favorites on UA-cam. It’s simple yet , so calming & dreamy . Would be a beautiful place to get married .. it’s just perfect ! ❤
Thanks so much for your note. I appreciate you being here. I love hiding from the world every now and again don't you? And the garden is a perfect place for that.
Absolutely beautiful! I have a Mary Statue and now I have inspiration in where to place her💜Time to get to work!
Wonderful!
I have a shaded corner in the back end of our yard. It is cool, and a slight breeze blows almost all the time. I cleared it out, and now ferns and violets are growing in. I have moss filling in, as well. This gives me a feeling of peace. There is a wild strawberry border leading down into the shaded area. It is a work in progress, but I haven't bought anything, as of yet. I get my most enjoyment and peace being outside in my gardens.
That sounds like a lovely spot in your garden. I am a huge fan of moss.
What a lovely story. I taught art history for years and always covered Mary Gardens when I talked about the late Middle Ages. As a non-religious gardener, I also appreciate and believe like you that these spaces can offer refuge. Mine sure does! Thank you for the detail of your creation. Enjoyed it very much!
Thanks so much and thanks for sharing your story of teaching history. That is so interesting. I bet you can teach some great lessons about garden history which is a subject I love!
An absolutely beautiful garden! You were so right about everyone needing a place like this to get in touch with your inner self! So inspiring!
Thanks so much.
I'm so glad the algorithm brought your channel my way! I really want a Marian garden in our backyard! 💙🙏
Thanks for being here. My Mary garden is my favorite quiet space in the garden. It is the best escape from the daily grind.
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing your garden with us!
Thanks for visiting
I love Sanctuary Gardens and your Mary garden is so beautifully designed. KUDOS! I've contemplated a Mary Garden with the Blue Madonna or a Yuan Yin but it really requires its own garden room or at least a private Secret Garden corner. A space for quiet reflection away from Party Central, the Tropical Garden, the Potager and the Wildlife Habitat. I'd love to combine it with a Celtic (knot) design, a gravel path, birdbath, all evergreen except for a lot of white (moon garden) and a bit of soft pink, sky blue and the odd creamy yellow... Our neighbor has a lovely Mary Statue out front, lit up and always surrounded by pretty flowers. How wonderful that you inspired @angelacross2216 to re-create your Mary Garden at her church - ya never know whose lives you touch!:)
Thank you for your note. Your ideas sound wonderful. Finding that quiet space really makes all the difference.
Beautiful idea, beautiful garden! I appreciate the photos over time that you share because they prove to me that garden making is an exploration of trial and error, and that takes time. Patience is so important in gardening!
Thank you. You are right about needing patience. Garden making is most definitely trial and error.
Agree! I feel closer to my lord when I’m in nature, and seclusion is much needed in todays world especially after hectic days. Yours is perfect.❤
Well said! Thanks for checking out the video and thanks for your note.
What a beautiful sanctuary to pray and find solitude! You have inspired me that in my little side garden I need a Blessed Virgin Mary statue!
Awesome! It's great to have a restful space in our gardens.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing the process, enjoy the before and after photos. We are in our 9th season and it is astonishing to see our photos over the years and say "look how little the blue spruce is here, or birch trees :)".
Thank you. I know exactly what you mean. I am trying to be more aware of taking lots of photos from similar locations in the garden during the growing season to keep track of the changes. I love looking at the old photos to see how far you've come.
I agree with you! Just a perfect place to meditate..absolutely beautiful!❤️
Gardens are such a blessing.
I absolutely love your Mary garden!! So peaceful and tranquil. Such an inspiration. Thank you so very much for sharing it.
Thanks so much Dee.
loved this. im doing something similar but as a single mum and carer for my disabled daughter im attempting it on £0 and just imagination. lovely to see what you can do with a budget though. your garden is gorgeous. much love from my magic garden here in England to you and yours. ❤
Thanks so much. It's amazing to me how far you can go with a little imagination. It sounds like you have a wonderful project under way. Thanks for sharing your story. I bet your daughter is very excited too!
I Love 💕 the Mary Garden , thank you for showing it to us , I can see how it is a special place for you , very peaceful. About those Lily Beetles , they devour a lily in no time at all , so destructive. I have a nice patch of Asiatic lilies close to my deck and the bugs haven’t found them yet , keeping my fingers crossed
Thanks for checking out the video. I am glad to hear your lilies are safe. It is unbelievable how destructive those little red beetles are. I tried a couple season of putting them in soapy water and destroying the eggs, but I was spending more time doing that than enjoying my garden. I made the decision to get rid of the lilies. I miss them, but that's ok.
That's what my yard , garden and plants do for me... therapeutic for the mind
Very therapeutic. Gardening is the best.
I appreciate your gentle spirit. I agree with your insight...beauty heals...thank you for sharing your journey
Thanks for your kind note.
The quality of your videos are amazing. Very refreshing to find these....so many out there of less than average content.
Thanks so much.
I 100% agree and when I look at nature I wonder……. How could one look at perfection and not believe in God? I am by no means judging. Thank you so much for sharing your Mary garden. 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks so much. I know what you mean.
Amen!!!
What a beautiful, private, peaceful space you have developed. You describe what you are trying to create in a garden in such a calm & serene way, you are a wonderful story teller. It must have been disappointing to have to remove the white lilies they were stunning.
Thanks so much. I was heart broken about those lilies. I tried for a couple seasons to manage the beetles, but it was taking too much time. They looked so beautiful. The garden is looking a bit rough now, but you know how that goes...you just have to keep trying new things until you find a good replacement. Thank you for your note. I appreciate it.
Its such a lovely space!
Thanks so much.
So beautiful! Love visiting beautiful gardens at Catholic Churches. There is one beautiful garden at the Grotto in Portland, Oregon if you’re ever there you should see it! Love your garden. Pretty new to your channel and love our Blessed Mother and love how she is beautifully placed in yours ❤️
Thank you and thanks for the tip about the Grotto in Portland. Oregon has such great growing conditions I bet it is stunning. Don't you love visiting new gardens?
How beautiful and calming. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
We absolutely need a tranquil place, it's a must for me and I couldn't be without my garden. I have some health issues, but I do what I can; the time goes by quickly when working and I am all the better for it. Your Mary garden is so peaceful.
Thanks Anna. I couldn't agree with you more!
Beautiful garden!! Felicidades!! Blessing for you !
Thank you. Blessings to you as well.
Beautifull Garden,❤,,,,
Thanks for visiting
Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! I'm not a religious person but to me this is a nature temple! I love it!
Gardens and nature are the best. Thanks for being here.
What A beautiful garden!❤
Thank you.
How beautiful!💖
Thank you! 😊
Oh wow! So beautiful. I need some simple colors in my garden. I am going to create a bed with all white, cream and green colors. ❤❤❤
I love a white and green garden. I find that color combination perfect. Especially for a shady area.
Just beautiful!
Thanks so much.
What a beautiful garden! ❤🙏🏼
Thanks so much!
My gardens have saved me through so many different events in my life.
I know exactly how you feel. I hope all is well now. Thanks for your note.
I have a garden that is set up for walking meditations. It is a circle of pavers. The center has a huge oak tree and statuary. Agreed, it is lovely to have sacred places in your garden plan.
Your walking meditation path sounds wonderful. I love oak trees.
Khu vườn đẹp lắm bạn!❤ 👍
💚💚💚
Love all of your videos. But my garden is so overrun with invasive plants and vines that I've just about written it off. Enjoy seeing yours.
Thank you. I've been removing a few invasive plants from my garden too. I know how you feel. I just do a little at a time. Thanks for watching the video. Happy gardening!
I changed garden zones and am now dealing with toxic and invasive plants and vines. Just do one bit, or one bed at a time, and tell yourself: "It looks better than it did before!" Over time, we will conquer!
So Serene and Beautiful ❣
Thank you.
I just discovered your channel with this video…. How beautiful! I sent this video to my daughter also who will so appreciate the Mary Garden.
Wow, thank you! I appreciate you being here.
I'm trying to create a garden dedicated to my grandma who raise me. She loved flowers and would walk among her flowers singing n praying for us. 7 kids she took in after my mother passed away due to cancer. I love seeing the beauty of God!
I love this idea. Your Grandma sounds like an amazing woman.
Thank you! She was, she died at the age of 92 n her mother dies at the age of 103.
@@BCBRENDA That's amazing!
Absolutely!!!
You have made a green cathedral. Such a wonderful space for quite meditation
Thank you. It is a great escape from the crazy world.
I agree. I try to spend as much time in my garden as possible.
Gardens are the best.
Totally agree. We need refuge.
We really do. I love that time I spend outside in the quiet away from that phone, don't you?
Thank you for sharing this video. I totally agree with you on a special space to pray or meditate. Beautiful garden you 🙏🏻🌷🙏🏻🖖🏼
Thanks so much for your kind note.
Beautiful very peaceful looking
Thank you. It's a good place to hide from the world...ha ha.
I would love to have a Mary garden, yours is beautiful
Thank so much. It is such a peaceful space in my garden. I can go and escape anytime I need to. I highly recommend adding one to your garden.
Such a beautiful blessing. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for checking out the video.