How to Build a Church Memorial Garden

A church memorial garden provides a peaceful space to remember those we've lost.

While time may make loss a little easier, the pain of losing a loved one never truly goes away. For many families and friends, remembering the deceased and reflecting on their lives helps the memory of their loved one live on. A church memorial garden provides parishioners with a place to remember the important people in their lives who have passed on, in an environment filled with natural beauty. The religious aspects of a church garden, such as a statue of Mary or Jesus, along with the birth and rebirth of flowers year after year, also provide a comforting space for those who mourn the loss of their loved ones.

Things You'll Need

• Stakes
• Ribbon
• Spray paint
• Tiller
• Cobble stones or gravel
• Fountain
• Sculpture
• Gardening shovels
• Plants

Instructions

Planning

1. Inform the congregation about the impending memorial garden and ask for their input. By including parishioners in the planning, church goers can help design and create a garden that suits their needs and wants. The involvement of parishioners can provide time and expertise in landscape design or gardening, as well as financial support or donations of gardening supplies, building materials or plants.

2. Draw out plans for the garden. For the most church involvement, draw up two or three plans which show different layouts of paths, flower displays, fountains, sculptures and other decorative ideas. Let the parish or a church committee vote on the plan that best fulfills the church community's needs.

3. Select a plot of land for the memorial garden. Pick a location with ample space, which will allow for paths, a sculpture, fountain and flowers. Ideally, the land should also be relatively flat.

4. Mark off the area by driving stakes into the corners of the lot, then attaching string or ribbon around the stakes, creating a rectangle. Within the garden area, use spray paint to designate the areas that will contain plants, mark the pathways and indicate where other decorative elements will go.

Building

1. Till the garden with a garden tiller. Hiring an expert or finding a church member who is experienced with tilling is the best way to do a good job turning the soil and preparing the designated garden areas for planting.

2. Create the pathways. Creating the paths before planting prevents the flowers from getting trampled. Lay down patio tiles or stones, or spread gravel over the designated path areas to make it easy for parishioners to walk around the memorial garden.

3. Place a statue or fountain or both in the garden. Select a particularly meaningful sculpture, such as the parish's patron saint, or the virgin Mary or Jesus, for example.

4. Erect a fence. A curb, fence or wall helps keep animals out of the garden while adding to its aesthetics.

5. Plant shrubs, trees and flowers. Adding plants with varieties of colors, textures and heights make the garden a luscious respite where members of the congregation will be eager to go.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider hosting a memorial garden fundraiser where parishioners can pay to have their loved one's names engraved in a pathway brick or memorial wall. This lets family and friends have a personal memorial at the garden while helping to fund the project.

References

• Green Patio: How To Make A Garden
• Bethesda Presbyterian Church: Memorial Garden
• Murray UU Church: Memorial Garden