Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

cremation

Momma Tree in NYC

fall tree dedication

Fall is a great time to plant a seed or two, and city dwellers, I’m talking to you….YOU too can dedicate a tree, living plant, garden or sacred space in memory of your loved one.

Special thanks to CK, who has publicly shared her journey of the loss of her sweet momma.

Thanks to the boundless grace of many bloggers, my mother is now commemorated and honored in New York City with her own tree (for those new to my blog, my mother died suddenly 8 weeks ago). But it’s more than a tree. It’s a sanctuary. More than that, the tree has been planted in a park in Spanish Harlem which is in a part of the city that is a “BID” (Business Improvement District). So this beautiful act betters a community…which makes a whole lotta sense since the beauty of this community’s moving act betters me.

And if I feel down you know what I’m gonna do? Damn straight, I’m going to see my momma’s tree!

Fall Garden Greetings

greetings

While wandering about the garden and weaving our own web, we just about crashed through this work of art. Should have got a better angle on this, you could actually see the web shooting out of his blow hole!

Next, we want to show you a quick and easy example of a memorial garden we’ve done in a small side bed on the west side. And yes, we have weeds.
memorial garden angel

We’ve used the iron garden angel and a personalized garden memorial stone that can be customized with your choice of artwork and font styles. The pieces weather well, and are on a small enough scale to be discreet in your garden as well as easily relocated if needed.

For families that have chosen to scatter the ashes of a loved one or just want a special place to remember a special person or pet this is an easy and cost effective solution.

Fall is an excellent time to start your memorial garden.

Surprise Judgments

A client in Texas tells us that the funeral director was surprised when she booked a cremation, casket, and chapel for viewing/visitation. “Well, you know he’ll have to be embalmed.” he responded.

She did. That’s what she wanted.

She had her father-in-law’s blue cloisonne urn that she’d bought earlier and wanted the same thing for his son.

Another client selected a keepsake urn for her father-in-law who was Jewish. Even though Jewish law and tradition is to be buried in the ground, he chose cremation to honor his parents who were cremated, (not by choice) in a concentration camp crematorium.

The moral of the story here is just because a family has chosen cremation doesn’t mean that they won’t have a traditional service, and we can’t make judgments based on culture and religion.

Goodbye Joe

We lost a good friend in the garden last week, Joe Rook on 9/5/07.

Joe had a double lung transplant at Barnes Jewish Hospital in April. The last three months of Joe’s life was amazing; he enjoyed every day to the fullest!

Lakin’ it and loving life! Joe belonged to Rice Camp at Table Rock Lake and spent most of his free time at his lake home. Nothing would make Joe happier than a 100-degree day and a bottle of suntan oil!

Joe knew no strangers, and had countless friends that he helped make it through life by helping them to live it “One Day at a Time!” His trademark was “It’s a beautiful day in the Ozarks!”

Joe belonged to the Gate of the Temple Lodge, and was a thirty-second degree Mason. He was on the Shriners’ Directors Staff and was active with the Shriners’ Hospital Dads. Joe traveled many miles transporting children to St. Louis, helping them to get the medical care that they needed.

We’ll miss Joe and send our deepest sympathies to his wife Sharon, and kids Sonya and Jodie and extended family.