Small-Space Mary Gardens

Indoor Dish Version

Select a dish or other container at least 3 inches deep. Decide whether you will place your garden in a north, south, east or west window. Then, select 4-6 light-appropriate plants from the following list (common names used here): olive tree, shamrock, star of Bethlehem, iris, crown of thorns, Kenilworth ivy, Spanish moss, rue, begonia, lady’s mantle, heart vine, or prayer plant.

Place a  1/4-inch layer of charcoal chips or pellets at the bottom of the container for drainage. Then fill with a moist, professional potting soil to 5/6 of the height of the container. Position a small statue of Our Lady and your plants in the dish in an artistic fashion, allowing for a soil space around each plant of 1 1/2 times the diameter of the root mass. Firm the soil, water and move to the planned location.

Add water by filling the space fully from the top of the soil to the rim of the container whenever the soil is found to be dry. Nutrients to encourage plant growth can be provided in a water-soluble fertilizer applied every few weeks.

When plant growth slows or stops, reduce temperature, light, moisture and nutrients for 8-10 weeks. Then resume normal care for a new cycle of growth. Prune roots and shoots at the start of a new growth period to maintain desired size.

Patio Pot Version

Select a 10” to 15”-wide pot and 4-6 plants from the following list (again, common names are used): garden balsam, love-in-a-mist, pansy, sweet scabious, English daisy, annual larkspur, marigold, morning glory, forget-me-not, patient Lucy, bachelor’s button, petunia, or zinnia. Choose a location for your patio pot that has at least 5 hours a day of full sun.

Then, follow the planting, watering, and fertilizing guidelines described above.