A couple of weeks ago I began an Internet search for an Our Lady of Guadalupe garden statue. I don’t know why I decided on Our Lady of Guadalupe over any other Mary statue. I guess the connection to her after all those years in Texas is still strong, and my grandfather was big into Our Lady of Guadalupe in his final years. I have a pilgrim image that belonged to him in my kitchen hutch.
Anyway, back to how I found her. It was the craziest thing. I went to Wal-Mart, a store I loathe to visit, because I needed cheap shorts for the kids and some potting soil. As I rounded the corner of the garden section, there she stood. I stopped short. Olivia gasped. We were all immediately captivated by her. So I loaded her into the shopping cart and off we went for the rest of our items. Let me tell you, you get some pretty strange looks when you are wheeling a three-foot Our Lady of Guadalupe around Wal-Mart. Those who didn’t stare, bowed with hands folded in prayer, which was a refreshing approach.
So she made it home in one piece and has supplanted St. Francis of Assisi in the backyard garden. Actually, St. Francis got a bit of a promotion; he is now in the front yard. And so the work begins, as I threatened back when the spring flowers were just coming into bloom, to plant a true Mary Garden, which will be a challenge for me because I am hampered in my quest for a colorful garden by abundant shade and voracious deer. A deadly combination. Those hostas in the photo above won’t last long if the deer get really hungry.
I will keep you posted as things develop, although I have to admit that I love this garden already, even without any bright blossoms (other than my trusty Bleeding Heart right next to Mary).
