What better way to pay tribute to a loved one than to plant an eco-friendly garden in their memory? Memorial gardens are created as a long lasting tribute to a loved one who has passed, and provides a place for family and friends to gather to privately revisit fond memories or to share stories and reflections of days of the past.
Creating a Space to Represent a Loved One
As friends and family begin to plan their memorial garden, one of the best sources of inspiration can come from the passions and beliefs of the loved one of which they are paying tribute. By taking into consideration the things that a loved one considered to be important in their life, a myriad of ideas can begin to take shape.
For someone who was an avid crusader in preserving the planet, planting an eco-friendly garden can be the best way to represent his or her spirit. Choosing plants that are native to the area can cut the need for excess maintenance, which preserves natural resources. Low maintenance plants are more likely to thrive in their natural habitat, which ensures that this tribute is indeed, long lasting.
With so many choices for landscaping the area, the best way to narrow down the list is to choose plants that bloom in shades of the loved one’s favorite color. Whether it’s varying shades of a single hue, or a combination of colors that represent their life and their interests the results will be as beautiful as the memories that are shared within the garden.
Small Personal Touches Can Have a Big Impact
There are many creative ways to represent the life of a loved one, and adding personal touches throughout the memorial garden is a great way to pay tribute on a very personal level.
The plants that have been landscaped around the space can be protected from foot traffic by using personally inscribed stepping-stones to create paths throughout the garden. Each stepping stone can be inscribed with an image or words that relate to important aspects or dates of the loved one’s life.
Friends and family may also opt to have a message bench built that is inscribed with the name of their loved one, along with a favorite quote, poem or song lyrics.
Incorporating items that represent the interests of a loved one can also be done in an environmentally friendly fashion. Everything from birdbaths and feeders to solar lighting for walkways can be used to benefit both the environment and the memory of a nature lover.
Adding Park Benches to the Gathering Space
As friends and family come together to honor the memory of their loved one, having park benches throughout the space can create an inviting environment for visitors. Multiple park benches can be used to design a conversation space where friends and family can gather. Likewise, using single park benches throughout the area can serve as an intimate setting of solitude for private visits.
Using the location and style of the memorial garden as a guide to which park benches would be appropriate for the area is a great place to start. A large memorial garden in a business district could benefit from having commercial park benches strewn throughout. A smaller, more intimate garden would do well with traditional park benches in styles that reflect the design of the space.
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I have also made stones for our family pets that have passed on. They were my shadows while working in the garden. Our dog had a thing for tennis balls and me throwing them for her. Everytime I would dig a hole for a plant, she would drop the ball in. Of course, I would pick it up and throw it for her. She would sit so patiently for another hole to be dug. She has a stone marker in a favorite place in my garden.