Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

memorial garden bench

Bleeding Hearts

bleeding heart

A welcome sight in the early Spring garden. Bleeding Hearts are hardy and easy to grow (and toxic). My Bleeding Hearts have taken a lot of abuse over the years and still come back every season. The original plant in my garden has been split and divided several times and moved all about the property, been peed and trampled on by the A-Team, and still remained strong and beautiful.

They like light shade and can tolerate a heavy clay soil. Most are pink but occasionally you’ll see a white Bleeding Heart. By the end of summer, they stop blooming and turn a lime green. That’s when I cut ’em back.
white bleeding heart

The only problem? Slugs love em.

DIY Memorial Garden

Even if you don’t have a million dollars to re-landscape your outdoor living space, you can still create a memorial garden or outdoor sanctuary in a small space on a shoestring.

Depending on how elaborate you want to get, a bench and a few low maintenance plants will do. Expand on the idea with an arbor, pergola or trellis. Outdoor lighting? You can do it in phases, or as your finances allow. Next season, add a fountain or water feature.
urngarden garden memorials

Feel like you need to get your hands dirty and work the earth? What about this intriguing garden design? It can be done on a small scale and filled with easy care plants.

Want to dedicate a tree or sacred spot in the garden? Customize a garden memorial stone or marker. Personalized stones will take 2-4 weeks to create, but worth the wait and you can use the time to plan your space and buy the plants needed.

urn garden memorial stones

It’s never too late to start creating your healing garden, in fact this is a great time to find outdoor furniture, plants and accessories on clearance.

Today’s tip: Create a sanctuary for yourself.