MEMORY GARDEN

Horticulture Therapy and Memorial Plantings

"From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity." - Edvard Munch

A Living Tribute in Your Own Backyard

Make your yard into a natural tribute to your beloved. Any yard or patio can become a sanctuary that welcomes wildlife with just a few simple modifications:

~Make Your Patio Permeable -  A porous surface allows water through to the soil, where it is able to soak up rain and inhibit run off.

~Consider designing patios and pathways with pores in order to prevent run off. This also keeps local streams clean.

~Add Water to Your Yard or Patio - A concave rock collects and holds drinking water for insects such as: ladybugs, dragonflies, and more. Birdbaths provide water for birds that is the best depth of water for play, bath time and hydration.

~Widen a Fence - By removing a few panels or widening space between fence panels, small flying wildlife such as small birds or butterflies, can pass through more easily to your garden. Oftentimes, it makes for a nicer view as well.

Memorial Plantings

Memorial horticulture is a simple, fulfilling and beautiful way to honor a loved one. Memorial plantings provide an opportunity to care for the memory of a loved one. 

Your backyard garden or patio can easily be transformed into the ultimate memorial destination that gives you and your family not only the opportunity to honor a loved one at home, but the convenience and privacy of memorializing in your own home.

Memorial Planting Tips for Your Backyard Tribute

Choose a Special Location for a Memorial Planting

Choose a special location for a memorial planting or a spot in present garden that you would like to recreate or add a memorial to. For families with patios, decide which plant pot or pots you will be using and where you would like to place them.

Include trees, ground-covers and shrubs. This helps to provide shelter and food for helpful bugs. By including both broad-leaf and conifer evergreens, this helps provide additional shelter for wildlife during winter.

Planting flowers like tulips, lilies or daffodils can adorn the garden in a beautiful way.

Add flowering plants with pollen to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Add plants that offer caterpillars leaves to eat.

 Plant a tree decorate it with lights on their birthday each year.

Plant a variety of plants that produces both berries and seeds throughout the year. This helps to feed the birds. (See some ideas in the next section below.)

Hang wind chimes nearby and consider adding pinwheels (as shown in the video below) to catch the wind and make lively patterns.

 

All-Season Plants for Your Memorial Plantings

Try adding plants that will attract wildlife during each season of the year. In Oregon there are several plants to consider.

Oregon Grape

Oregon Grape Flowers attract mason bees and butterflies. Blue-blackberries are eaten by birds. Beautiful bronze new growth occurs on evergreen leaves. 

Kinnikinnik

 Kinnikinnik Berries are a favorite of birds. Flowers are visited by butterflies and bees. Leaves help feed the butterfly caterpillars. Glossy evergreen leaves are a beautiful addition to any garden or yard.

Red Flowering Currant

Red Flowering Currant Flower nectar feeds hummingbirds. Berries are eaten by birds. Leaves help feed the butterfly caterpillars. Bright pink flowers add vibrant color to any yard or garden.

Western Columbine

Western Columbine - Hummingbirds enjoy the flowers. Seeds are eaten by the birds. Glowing red and yellow flowers brighten up the garden.

Oregon Vine Maple

Vine Maple Seeds are eaten by birds. Leaves help feed the butterfly caterpillars. Nectar from the flowers is collected by bees. The orange and red fall leaves ornament any yard during autumn.

Backyard Burial - Pet Memory Garden

Beautify – Improve a garden or patio
Available – Visit anytime
Curative - Gardening lowers stress
Kind – Keep your loved ones nearby
Yours – Affordable property you own
Alleviate – Avoid theft, damage, vandalism
Reminisce - Daily reminder of loved ones
Decompress – Your tranquil retreat

Plan a Pet Burial at Home

Home burial is the perfect option for home owners. Most jurisdictions allow private property burial, but specific rules apply depending on your site. It's important to contact Call Before You Dig agency online or call 811 by phone to ensure the safety of your family, home and neighborhood. Call Before You Dig helps ensure safety related to excavation projects.

Some tips when selecting a good location are to plan a burial where you do not expect to be excavating in the future. Choose a space near the house, near the family rose garden, or near a favorite tree.

After the burial, make your yard into a natural tribute. Any yard can become a natural sanctuary with just a few simple modifications. You can also plant a tree just beside the grave and decorate it.

Hold a Graveside Service for a Pet

A graveside service takes place next to the grave. An officiant may be present or the family can share memories, sing, play music, or listen to music together.

Pet Graveside Service Steps

1. Selecting a Grave Space
2. Preparation of the remains
3. Selecting a burial container
4. Prepare the grave.
5. Burial of the pet.
6. The grave is closed (earth fills remainder of grave.)
7. Stone marker (engraved or natural) is placed on top.
8. Flowers and other mementos are laid on top of the closed grave.

The Healing Power of a Memory Garden

Losing a loved one hurts and can be difficult to heal from. However, many find that caring for a tangible symbol helps to heal one's grief. Many studies find that doing things on behalf of the deceased is helpful. By caring for a plant or a tree as part of a living memorial to your loved one, this gives you something special to do for them and another way to remember them as part of your daily life.

Decorative Memorial Planting Tips for Your Home Memorial

Hang wind chimes nearby and or pinwheels to liven up the space and cast patterns in the sunlight. (See video below for an example of pinwheels in use.)

Include trees, ground-covers and shrubs. This helps to provide shelter and food for helpful bugs. By including both broadleaf and conifer evergreens, this helps provide additional shelter in winter.

Plant flowers like tulips, lilies or daffodils can be planted to adorn the space.

Plant a variety of plants that produce berries and seeds throughout the year. This helps to feed the birds.

Add flowering plants with pollen to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Add plants that offer leaves for caterpillars to eat.

Plant a tree and decorate it with lights on their birthday each year.

Pet Grave Tending Tips

Make your yard into a natural tribute to your beloved. Any yard can become a sanctuary that welcomes wildlife with just a few simple modifications.

1) Make Your Patio Permeable
A porous surface allows water through to the soil, where it is able to soak up rain and inhibit run off. Consider designing your patios and pathways with pores in order to prevent run off. This also keeps local streams clean.

2) Add Water to Your Yard or Patio
A concave rock collects and holds drinking water for insects such as: ladybugs, dragonflies, and more. Birdbaths provide water for birds that is the best depth of water for play, bath time and hydration.

3) Widen a Fence
By removing a few panels or widening space between fence panels, small flying wildlife such as small birds or butterflies, can pass through more easily to your garden. Oftentimes, it makes for a nicer view as well.

Attract Butterflies with Flowers

Build a butterfly garden. Pick a warm sunny spot sheltered from the elements with nectar rich flowers. Add large flat dark garden stones that will absorb the sunlight providing a perfect place for soaking in the sun. Lay a shallow tray with wet sand and stones into the soil so that the top is level with the earths surface. Keep it fresh by periodically refreshing the water. Butterflies are most attracted to fragrant, brightly colored blooms, especially purple, pink, orange, or yellow. Additionally, consider adding host plants for the caterpillars of the adult butterfly.

"More than half of all life on earth is insect."

Attract Wild Birds

Feeders are a great way to help during the winter, and provide life giving essentials like food, water, and places to raise their young. Birds are an encouraging reminder of life with their cheerful songs.