My spring began rather dramatically when a driveway repaving project ended with my flower garden being inadvertently torn up by the workers.

When we moved into our current home, keeping up with the landscaping and five young children proved impossible. But I yearned for an outdoor corner of reprieve and had been eyeing a secluded spot out front, occupied at the time by a large, thorny bush.

Having heard about “Mary gardens” featuring statues of Jesus’ mother, Mary, surrounded by flowers reminiscent of her, like roses and morning glory, I’d begun wishing for my own. “If I could start with a small piece of heaven, maybe it will inspire me to do more later,” I thought.

I didn’t grow up gardening, so I often feel inept at it. The exception was the vegetable garden my father planted in our s

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