Memorial gardens are places where loss and life intersect
SNEAK PEAK: "ROSEMARY IS FOR REMEMBRANCE"
“Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” —Matthew 5.4
Imagine a place that is … peaceful. Verdant. Sensual. Colorful. Touchable. Meaningful. Alive. Then imagine that this place—whether it be a small corner in your back yard or a public park the size of a city block—is dedicated to the memory of someone you’ve loved, someone now gone. A spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, a pet—anyone whose loss you carry with you. What would it mean to you to not only have such a place where you can go to remember and reflect, but to create that place—especially designed to translate your grief and memories into meaning and continuing life?
Most commonly, cemeteries and columbaria have served as the markers for the dead, and mourners have returned to those spots to bring flowers, whisper prayers, and remember. But cemeteries and columbaria primarily serve as a place to inter remains. Over time, they have been designed with a garden look, offering a more soothing atmosphere for the bereaved. But it isn’t easy to overlook the more corporeal function of these places. They serve a purpose more than they preserve a memory.
A memorial garden, on the other hand, is all about memory, and how those memories are preserved is entirely up to the gardener. The choice of plants, of color, of ornaments, of sensory detail may all evoke memories and meanings that can anchor you through a turbulent time following a loss or simply make you smile to remember as seasons change, the hurt begins to heal, and grief is transformed into loving celebration.
You don’t need a huge space for a memorial garden. It can be large or small, public or private, outdoor or indoor, for that matter. It can be designed down to the smallest detail before a shovel ever meets the soil, or it can evolve over time based on a specific theme, concept, or color scheme. It can be a place intended for meditation, for sitting and lingering, for encouraging wildlife, for active gardening and frequent viewing, or it can simply be a secluded spot that is planted and left to be cared for by nature. It can be anything that is meaningful to you.
And it can begin now.
John Lennon Memorial, Central Park, New York
