Early examples of mourning  jewelry were found in Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Black and white enameled heads or skulls were often set into both rings and brooches and worn to signify a period of mourning after the death of a loved one.

memento mori

The Death’s Head motif (skull) was still used on mourning rings as late as the 17th century. A ring presented after the execution of King Charles I in 1649 shows a portrait of Charles I on one side and a skull and a crown on the other. Inside the inscription reads, “The glory of England has departed.”

The presentation of mourning rings was a status symbol in the 17th and 18th centuries. The wealthy specified the ring design and quantity to be made in their wills.

Samuel Pepys, English diarist and naval official (1633-1703) willed that 129 mourning rings be given away at his funeral.

Either he had a large family or a huge ego.

skull ring memento mori

Urn Garden is pleased to launch a contemporary line of urn rings, inspired by Victorian mourning jewelry.

Keepsake Cremation Urn Ring

Some families like to scatter ashes from way up high, this lady is releasing a keepsake amount of cremated ashes from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Or this undisclosed location:

We prefer to keep it on the down low, whether spreading ashes on the ground or over the water:

U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Gabriel Hernandez

If you plan to spread the ashes on the ground, a shallow trench or groove can be dug in the soil or sand where the ashes can be placed. This process can be personalized by drawing out the person’s name or a heart shaped trench. Add candles or luminaries around the trench to create a spiritual ambiance and can be later used as a keepsake for those that attend.  Wildflower seeds and  tree plantings are another way to personalize the event. At the end of the ceremony, participants can either rake over the remains in the trench, or have the water from the ocean sweep the remains out to sea while family and friends join hands and remember the individual’s life.

The most common method of scattering ashes is known as “casting” , which is basically tossing the ashes into the wind.  Let’s talk about the WIND.  Consider wind direction and try to cast down to prevent “blow-back”.  The dense nature of human ashes combined with a fine powder forms a whitish-gray cloud when it becomes airborne.

Some families want to release the ashes all at once, and others want to spread the ashes as a group, each member taking a turn scattering the remains.

This family opted to split the ashes in individual envelopes, some DIY-ers use paper cups.   Your family funeral director can make this process much easier if you need assistance or have questions regarding this process.

Scattering tubes and biodegradable scattering urns are also available.

After several years of planning, a Memorial Garden will be dedicated in Abingdon Square Park in New York City, to the memory of Adrienne Shelly, who was killed in 2006.

“This has been a long but very satisfying journey to honor my late wife in the park she loved so much, across from the building in which she lived for many years, worked and died.” said Shelly’s husband, Andy Ostroy,who helped design the memorial garden.

Ostroy chose to stock the plot with Nikko blue hydrangeas (symbolizing understanding)

Obedience, hardy and tolerant of clay soil. Symbolizes graciousness and strength.

Liatris, also known as Blazing Star, symbolizes love.

Campanula, also known as the Bellflower symbolizes gratitude.

and Nepeta, also known as catnip, is lemon-scented with heart-shaped leaves.

Shelly’s memorial garden will be dedicated with a memorial plaque on Aug. 3.

Founded in 1836, and re-opened in 2004, Abingdon Square Park is a tiny, luscious triangle in Greenwich Village. According to neighbors, the park seems almost holy, like a sacrament in the summertime.

The park is dominated by the bronze statue of a soldier holding a flag, the Abingdon “Doughboy,” was designed to “honor the brave men who went forth from this neighborhood to join the armed forces of the United States during the World War.”

Planning a memorial garden or tree dedication? Check out our memorial stones.

Angel’s fans have rallied to honor the memory of Nick Adenhart, the rookie who was killed by a drunk driver earlier this year, on April 9, just hours after he pitched at Anaheim Stadium.

Fans have placed caps, homemade signs, personal messages and stuffed Rally Monkeys to honor Adenhart at the stadium and the “touching” memorial is still in place.

Back in the day, cutting edge technology allowed our families to pose with the dear departed and record the moment for posterity.

Courtesy of Coilhouse

That idea faded and seems creepy now, but what about the background noise I heard this weekend? Snippets of  reality tv with the Jackson Family Show trying to coordinate a very public gold- plated memorial service.

Or the bit of a tattoo road show, featuring a gentleman who mixed a trace of his loved one’s ashes into the ink and had a portrait style memorial tattoo on his chest.

At the quieter end of the spectrum, one of our clients does design work in a memorial garden in upstate New York, had this good word to say about our personalized river rock garden stone.

“The H-stone — both the stone itself and the workmanship — is lovely and has become the new standard in our Memorial Gardens.”

See: James Brown Funeral.

Memorial Ideas.

Neighborhood Garden Memorials

We sold out of our last collection of Raku urns, and just picked up some new pieces that we’re slowly adding to the site.

A sampling of our latest Raku urns from the garden potter:

Celtic urns are a popular choice, and this one of a kind art piece urn uses copper glazes and features a hand-carved Celtic knot emblem.

Another copper glazed urn using the Raku technique, is the nature- themed “Fern Urn”.

The sad thing about these urns, is that the pictures don’t do them justice.  They are much more attractive than depicted here.

Several clients have requested that we carry the metal heart keepsake urns.  We’ve just added them to our inventory and have several styles available.

The heart keepsake urns are designed to hold a small portion of ash, lock of hair or other small memento. The hearts load from the bottom and are secured with a threaded stopper.

Many of our keepsake urns have matching adult urns.

My bleeding hearts are popping. So sweet to see.

How about some heart-shaped memorial stones for your Spring garden?

Weather-proof and durable, and best of all:

Snowdrops and daffodils are strong and beautiful.  They survive  harsh weather conditions, neglect, and continue to multiply.

City planners and developers love the Bradford Pear tree and it’s always an early bloomer.

The Bradford Pear has a distinct odor. Lately? I’ve been smelling a strong cat pee odor.  Turns out?  It’s the Bradford Pear trees!

Forsythia brings the explosion of early spring color. My neighbor sculpts and manicures his bush, trying to keep it contained. Personally, I think it looks better on the wild side, like fireworks.