Backyard Burial :: Grave Tending Tips

Grave Tending Tips

Shovel in Dirt Make your yard into a natural tribute to your beloved. Any yard can become a sanctuary that welcomes wildlife with just a few simple modifications.

1) Make Your Patio Permeable
A porous surface allows water through to the soil, where it is able to soak up rain and inhibit run off. Consider designing your patios and pathways with pores in order to prevent run off. This also keeps local streams clean.

2) Add Water to Your Yard or Patio
A concave rock collects and holds drinking water for insects such as: ladybugs, dragonflies, and more. Birdbaths provide water for birds that is the best depth of water for play, bath time and hydration.

3) Widen a Fence
By removing a few panels or widening space between fence panels, small flying wildlife such as small birds or butterflies, can pass through more easily to your garden. Oftentimes, it makes for a nicer view as well.

Plant a tree just beside the grave and decorate it with lights on their birthday each year, like Bill Cosby does for his son, Ennis' backyard burial ground.

Make Your Own Headstone or Gravemarker from Recycled Items

A Greensburg, Kansas man makes decorative and unique gravemarkers from recycled materials.

Additional Decorative Garden Tips for your Backyard Burial

Expand your planting beds to include trees, ground-covers and shrubs. This helps to provide shelter and food for helpful bugs. By including both broadleaf and confier evergreens, this helps provide additional shelter in winter.
Flowers like tulips, lilies or daffodils can be planted to adorn the burial mound.
Plant a variety of greenery that produces both berries and seeds throughout the year. This helps to feed the birds.
Dried rose petals can be spread over the burial mound.
Add flowering plants with pollen to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
Hang wind chimes nearby.
Add plants that are best for butterflies to offer caterpillars leaves to eat.

Consider All-Season Plants for Your Garden or Yard

Try adding plants to your yard that will attract wildlife during each season of the year. In Oregon there are several plants to consider.

Oregon Grape
Flowers attract mason bees & butterflies
Blue-blackberries are eaten by birds
Beautiful bronze new growth occurs on evergreen leaves

Kinnikinnik
Berries are a favorite of birds
Flowers are visited by butterflies and bees
Leaves help feed the butterfly caterpillars
Glossy evergreen leaves are a beautiful addition to any garden or yard.

Red Flowering Currant
Flower nectar feeds hummingbirds
Berries are eaten by birds
Leaves help feed the butterfly caterpillars
Bright pink flowers add vibrant color to any yard or garden.

Western Columbine
Hummingbirds enjoy the flowers
Seeds are eaten by the birds
Glowing red and yellow flowers brighten up the garden.

Vine Maple
Seeds are eaten by birds
Leaves help feed the butterfly caterpillars
Nectar from the flowers is collected by bees
The orange and red fall leaves ornament any yard during autumn.