By MARY CORNEY Reminders of the days when England was called " Our Lady's Dower " are nowhere more prevalent than among flower names. Lovers of the Blessed Virgin could make a living sind beautiful act of homage to her by planting a " Mary garden."
The flowers which bear her name are legion, many of .them in common use or growing wild, others more rare.
Everyone, of course, knows the Marigold, and the lovely Madonna Lily. The Canterbury Bell is called by country folk "Our Lady's Looking Glass" and the yellow Lotus, " Our Lady's Fingers." The Woodruff is known as " Our Lady's Bedstraw" and the Cowslip as " Our Lady's Bunch of Keys." Sometimes we hear the little blue Harebell spoken of as " The Virgin's Gloves " and we even have a kind of grass called Our Lady's Garters." The Calceolaria is frequently referred to as " Our Lady's Slipper" and "The Virgin's Bower" is another name for the wild Clematis.
Maidenhair fern, the Maidenhair Tree and the pretty white Maiden's Wreath; all the.se names are derived from the "Maiden Mother." while the Lily of the Valley is often called the " Purification Flower." There is a hardy fern known as " Ladyfern," and the Fuschia is called " Lady's
Eardrops " and a white Cardamine, " Lady-Smock."
What a charming little garden one could make with such a selection! The scent of the flowers and their very beauty would be acts of praise ascending to the Mother of their Creator!