How to Create a Personal Memorial Garden at Home for a Loved One

Designate a place in your yard for the memorial garden. Consider how much work you'll need to maintain your garden. If possible, select a site convenient to water for plants. If you intend to plant flowers, choose a spot that receives enough sunlight for the flowers you want to plant.

Choose favorite plants and trees that will remind you of your loved one. Consult your local garden center or county Extension agent to discover what varieties do well in your area. Make the garden a place you'll want to visit by involving all your senses, with colorful sights, fragrant plants and pleasant sounds, such as the gurgle of a fountain or ringing of wind chimes.

Draw a plan of your garden on graph paper. Graph paper makes it easier to sketch a scale model. Draw the outline of the garden, then add features, such as beds, trees, a fountain or benches.

Spray the outline of your garden on the ground with spray paint. Mark the location of benches, trees, arbors or other features of your garden. This is a quick way to get a visual and will help you in placing things later.

Dig flower beds with a sharp shovel. Remove grass and discard, then turn over the dirt. Mix in some compost or organic fertilizer.

Outline the beds with edging, brick or other barrier to separate the flower beds from surrounding grass.

Plant trees and shrubs, if your memorial garden has any. For a small garden, stick to a single small tree, such as a redbud, dogwood, crepe myrtle or flowering crab apple. These trees won't overwhelm a small garden and will bloom in the spring.

Plant flowers in the beds. Choose your loved one's favorite blooms or blossoms that remind you of special times together, or some aspect of his personality. For instance, if your loved one had brilliant blue eyes, you might plant bluebells or blue-eyed grass to remind you of the color of his eyes. If she wore honeysuckle perfume, plant honeysuckle vines.

Add a small fountain or bird bath to bring the element of water into the garden. You can purchase self-contained recirculating fountains that occupy a half barrel or hang onto a fence. Or install a concrete bird bath and fill with water.

Add a bench or chair. A memorial garden is a place people should feel comfortable lingering, so offer seating to encourage visitors to rest a while. Choose seating that reflects your loved one's personality such as a rocking chair for a beloved grandmother who often sat in her rocker, a twig chair for a rugged outdoorsman, or a concrete bench covered in a tile mosaic for someone who appreciated crafts.

Install a small sign or plaque with the name of your loved one. You can include dates of birth and death, or a favorite saying of the person.