Memorial Gardens

The other day, I attended a ceremony for a young teenager who recently passed away.

The family had decided to create a memorial garden for their child, and I had volunteered to donate all the flowers and plants from my own garden for this grieving family.

Though I did not know the child, I did take great time and thought in selecting the flowers that would be placed in this garden.

As a parent who also lost a child, I appreciated the importance of the situation, and prayed that I would be able to honor this young teen with the selection of plants.

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A memorial garden provides a long-lasting tribute to a loved one who has passed away, as well as offers a place for the survivors to remember and to heal.

This type of garden can be as simple as a tree or a perennial plant planted in honor of someone, or it can be a large flower bed with many different flowers, shrubs, grasses, and other plants, each symbolizing a different aspect or personality trait of the deceased.

If the loved one enjoyed one season over another, certain plants can be used to reflect that. If a favorite season was spring, tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs can be grown. Each season offers its own unique plants to honor someone.

Perhaps the loved one had favorite color of red, blue, or yellow. Filling the garden with a combination of plants that share the same color is a nice way to pay tribute.

There are also plants that have specific meanings. Poppies reflect eternal sleep, pink roses are for loved spouses, while rosemary is for remembrance. There are many others to choose from, as well.

Benches are a wonderful addition to memorial gardens. They offer visitors and gardeners alike a place to sit and reflect. Water features are also a nice touch, as the sound of rushing water creates a soothing environment. Many other people add statuary that reflects the interest of a loved one.

The plants I selected for this young girl included a Easter lily, for rebirth, pink dianthus, as each little girl likes pink, rosemary, and a large pinkish red hibiscus, to symbolize the joy of her life, to name just a few.

However one goes about creating a memorial garden, it can not go wrong if it creates a place for solace. Time in the garden clears our minds and fills our lungs with clean air.

Sometimes for me, a walk in the garden is the best spot for me to water my plants, with my tears.