As a goddess of love, spring, and fertility, Freya is also a goddess of blossoms, and nothing could be

more fitting than to plant her a garden. There are a variety of plants that are associated with her in
folklore, as well as some that have become associated with her in modern times, and some that have
no particular association, but she would probably love them.
Before we speak of flowers, however, we need to bring her sacred tree, the Linden (Tilia europaea).

If you’ve ever seen a Linden (or Lime, in the UK) tree with its swaying, dancing
branches and rustling leaves, it will become clear to you why this is Freya’s tree. While Linden trees
grow to a pretty fair height and putting one in the middle of a garden might overshadow the plants,
the tree could be planted at the edge of the garden and a bench placed under it, for sitting and
admiring Freya’s garden.
There is a folktale than when Freya first came to Asgard as a hostage, she spent the first year quite
unhappy. After the lush flora of Vanaheim, she found the bleak winters and lack of spring flowers to
be depressing. When she wept with homesickness, her tears fell to the earth and white flowers sprang

forth. In one version of the tale, they are Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis); in
another, they are the Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis). Both these white flowers can therefore
be considered sacred to her; they are also small and bloom at different times, and can thus be
interplanted. Snowdrops bloom first and will probably be the earliest plant in her garden; Convalilly
erupts in May, and was thus sometimes called the Mayflower.

Cowslips (Primula veris) were traditionally associated with Freya, as was

their domestic cousin Primrose (Primula vulgaris). Two old names for the Cowslip flower were
“Lady’s Keys” and “Password”, as they could supposedly be used to travel magically to her hall,
Sessrumnir, and get you in the door. They are also golden, as she is.
Primroses were originally only pale yellow – “primrose yellow” as it came to be called – but they
have been bred in modern times into many different colors. I don’t think that Freya has a problem
with this, and Primroses of any color can surely be put into her garden.

The wild Daisy (Bellis perennis) is sacred to both Freya and Baldur. This
isn’t the tall ox-eye dairy, but the low-growing tiny one with many petals. Daisy is a warrior’s plant,
despite its size; it was given to warriors as a good-luck charm, and can be given for the protection of
Freya in her warrior form. Its protection extends especially to warriors who are women or
nonheterosexuals, as these come under Freya’s dominion rather than Odin’s.

The harlequin-bonnet Columbine flower (Aquilegia vulgaris) is associated

with Freya in Swedish folklore, and it became well-known as a supposed aphrodisiac, reflecting her
Love Goddess aspect. Potions of Columbine were made to arouse brides on their wedding nights, and
during the “language of flowers” era it still meant unbridled lust. In fact, it was considered poor taste
to give it to someone you were courting for that reason. Columbine flowers are actually mildly
poisonous when ingested raw, but the immediate poisons break down when heated, so it must be
infused in boiling water.
 One rather surprising plant associated with Freya is the humble European bean
(Vicia faba). These, too, can be incorporated into a Freya garden – there are numerous wonderful
colors of runner beans, scarlet and white and lavender and pink, with edible flowers. In fact, the
center of the garden could be trellises decorated with these annual beans that can twine six feet high
or more.

The scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) is not one of the plants traditionally
associated with Freya, but when I asked, She told me authoritatively that it was Hers. Freya and her
brother Frey are both light-bringers and joy-bringers, although the nature of their light and joy is
subtly different. The Pimpernel is Freya’s joy-plant; its ground-hugging nature and relationship with
the sky reflects Freya’s earth-goddess Vanic nature that reaches upward to connect with the
Aesir sky-nature. It is an antidepressant, and is said to be especially good for youthful girls.

Modern followers of Freya have found that she definitely loves strawberries
(Fragaria vesca) and the wild strawberry plant, with its intense flavor packed into tiny fruits, is a nice
ground cover for the Freya garden. More domesticated strawberry plants can be put in as well. They
grow well in pots if there is little room, or perhaps in a “strawberry pyramid” in the center of the
garden.
As a last point, while most practitioners will not want to get involved with this plant for legal reasons,
Hemp (Cannabis sativa) was also sacred to the Vanir Gods and supposedly used in seidhr
ceremonies. Beyond this, there are many lovely flowers unknown to the ancestors that are appropriate
for this beautiful goddess’s garden for their looks alone. Look for golden flowers, for her title as
Golden Lady; pink or red ones are for her Love Goddess passion, and white ones are for her warrior
side. A few darker purple ones remind us of her role as Mistress of Seidhr. For garden ornaments,
amber glass balls recall her favorite stone. Cat figurines symbolize her sacred animal, as do pigs. It’s
not hard – she’ll tell you what she likes.