Garden Memorials
Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and Roses
It is possible to inter the ashes of the deceased (not in a container) at the chosen rose, tree or shrub, with a memorial plaque to mark the final resting place.
There are a number of rose beds in the more formal parts of the garden, containing rose bushes and standard rose trees that will flower from May until early October. Some beds are located near the main buildings, while others are in a more secluded part of the garden at the far end of the crocus lawn.
Memorial trees and shrubs are available in many parts of the garden, and include azaleas, rhododendrons, hebes, camellias and acers, to name but a few. Many have been selected to flower at different times of the year, or for the attractive colours of their leaves or berries.
The Horder Garden
The Horder Garden, featuring two ornamental ponds and a bridge, is located at the southern end of the grounds, making it a particularly tranquil and picturesque area. Various shrubs and trees are available for dedication, and a summerhouse containing simple inscribed wooden panels is situated overlooking the larger pond.
Garden Boulder Tablets
A new area on the eastern side of the garden has been recently landscaped to provide individual plots marked by a white marble tablet on a stone boulder. A motif is included in the price, but a floral emblem can be painted as an optional extra. It is possible
to have 7–8 lines of inscription on the tablet. The ashes of the deceased can be buried under the boulder, or alternatively it can be dedicated as a memorial only.
The Children’s Garden
An area of the garden containing seasonal shrubs and roses for individual dedication has been reserved for babies and children. Alternatively, the ashes can be scattered on the lawn near the birdbath, and a little bronze plaque dedicated and placed on the fence nearby.
The Garden Vaults
The garden vaults are situated near the front of the grounds.
Each unit consists of a waterproof vault set into the ground, which can hold one or two caskets containing ashes. A black granite tablet inscribed in gold is fixed to a sloping marble base, which has an individual vase for fresh flowers.
Memorial Cards or Books
Your individual entry can be reproduced exactly as written in the Book of Remembrance in an individual Memorial Card or Book.
Leather Panels
These are covered in dark blue leather, and will take a gold hand-tooled inscription of up to seventy letters. Displayed in a mahogany frame on the east wall of the Chapel near the Books of Remembrance, a panel is on show for at least two nominated months of the year.
Commemoration Vases
Flowers are the perfect expression of remembrance, and a floral scheme in the Chapel of Memory allows visitors to rent their own bronze posy vase with a small plaque bearing the name and a short message.
Anniversary Floral Display
Special floral displays can be ordered for show on a feature shelf, or by the altar in the Chapel on the date nominated. The floral artist can include flowers of your choice, and a card bearing the name of the deceased will be displayed beside the arrangement.
Crocus Remembrance
If ashes are not interred at a garden memorial or placed in a columbarium, they can be scattered on the dispersal lawn where crocuses appear annually.
Wall Tablets
A wall tablet is an appropriate tribute when a more formal memorial is required. It can be in green or black slate, stone or marble, with a gilded, leaded or painted inscription. A variety of locations are available, including the lily pond area, the cloisters, and overlooking the crocus dispersal lawn.
Memorial Advisor
The choice of a memorial is an extremely important and intensely personal matter. To help people make the right choice, a Memorial Advisor is available to help those involved in making such a decision. In a private appointment the Advisor will talk through the range of possibilities that are available, and can discuss all personal requests and options.