Same as down here then, I think the rules are pretty much the same all over. You could get a little imitation stone pot from Amazon or some garden centres sell them, and put a plant in as long as its near the head end. If the tulips are not up by then they will mow over the lot. Snowdrops and crocus are the most popular because they are finished before the strimmer brigade invade.
If you do put anything like a stone pot, place it quick and run as by rights you need to pay a 'monument fee'.
Once placed they rarely remove them.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
It's the old St.Marylebone cemetary in East End Rd, East Finchley, GardenM. Sounds lovely that the new graves were planted with perennials - what a lovely idea.
I'm now worrying that my narcissi and crocuses, plus any poppies that make it, will be destroyed
I should have gone for snowdrops too....
Maybe I can try to plant as close as possible to the headstone? I like the stone pot idea too, though don't have time to get one before. Friday when I'm due to go. I'll get some cyclamen in a pot instead of cut flowers and put them adjacent to the headstone, I think.
I think primroses, wood anemones, snowdrops, miniature narcissi, crocuses, maybe even snakeshead fritillaries, naturalised in the grass, would strike the right note and survive being mown for most of the year. Flowers in early spring/late winter are evocative in a graveyard, almost symbolising rebirth.
You could get matt forming wildflower plugs to colonise the grass, creeping thyme, selfheal etc, if they let the grass grow a couple of inches between mows. Cyclamen hederifolium will also withstand mowing and come up when the grounds maintenance staff give up for the autumn.
Taller and more garish things probably would not look right, and in any case are out because of the mowing regime. With a grave I think you want it to look pretty, but low key and respecting the graves either side.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
I haven't read the whole thread here but it's lovely to hear how well maintained some places are. I visit my niece's grave regularly as my parents' ashes are scattered there and it's a very well kept cemetery. It's very important for people who go there I think.
Jess - just a thought re the pot if you go down that route, or even in the ground if it's dry. Some of the little sedums or saxifrages would possibly do well there. They're ideal when you can't water regularly. I've thought of putting a couple of them in because the soil's so dry under the trees. I usually just take flowers but it would be nice to have something permanent.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I dont think, after reading up on the cemetery, that Jess would get away with putting a pot there. when I sugested she put a pot there and run, I didnt realise how official the site is run.
You have to put in an application form for anything you want to place.
You could get away with it down here in Cornwall, but never in that place!
At least Jess will know that the plots are well looked ater.
There are fees to be paid and paper work to be done.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I love the idea if creeping thyme, Will. My gran or yaya', as I used to call her, was Greek and thyme featured heavily in her cooking and is found all over Greece, so that would be quite symbolic, as well as being tough and surviving the odd mower!
I went yesterday and it was just the most beautiful, balmy day here in London. I ended up cleaning the headstone, removing the little metal cut flower reservoir which was all dented and ugly, then I stuck a pot of my own in the hole left behind into which I'd put some cyclamen, as I didn't like the idea of cut flowers that would die so soon.
In front of her grave, all was covered in beautiful mown grass turf. Very tough, with some huge clods of clay underneath. I cut away a section (asked the groundsman and they said that was fine as long as I remained within the border of her plot), turned soil over as best I could, added a bit of compost and planted some yellow bulbs (she loved yellow): mini alliums toward the back so they wouldn't get mown in June, as well as some mini tulips, then closer to the front of the bare patch (about a foot and a half from the headstone) narcissi and crocuses.
i know it isn't much, but it's a start, and you've all inspired me, so I shall now go back with some creeping thyme from the garden too. There's an abandoned grave right next to hers, really close to it, so only about 30cm between the two headstones and no way for a mower to get in there, so I may plant something else in that little gap too, as long as it's small and respects the grave next to it.
it is a beautifully kept place, but no one said a word when I left my pot there. It is very small mind you and in the headstone itself.
i like the idea of sedums, Fairygirl. Very tough too.
sever all graves around my grandmas have the odd larger plant, like a rose, in between graves where there are gaps, plus an aucuba here and there...and one grave , though flush with the grass like ours and without any stone kerbs around it, was literally covered in bright pink begonias and cyclamen. Just beautiful.
the grass cutters were there on the same day as me and I had a look - they did actually make an effort not to mow down obvious larger plants on graves, which I though was nice.
I think I'll stick with buobs for now, though the turf was so heavy and tough that I wonder how much they'll be able to spread there where I didn't remove it!
im glad I went and I'll pits some photos once it's done
Posts
Same as down here then, I think the rules are pretty much the same all over. You could get a little imitation stone pot from Amazon or some garden centres sell them, and put a plant in as long as its near the head end. If the tulips are not up by then they will mow over the lot. Snowdrops and crocus are the most popular because they are finished before the strimmer brigade invade.
If you do put anything like a stone pot, place it quick and run as by rights you need to pay a 'monument fee'.
Once placed they rarely remove them.
Thanks Lyn, you're a star.
It's the old St.Marylebone cemetary in East End Rd, East Finchley, GardenM. Sounds lovely that the new graves were planted with perennials - what a lovely idea.
I'm now worrying that my narcissi and crocuses, plus any poppies that make it, will be destroyed
I should have gone for snowdrops too....
Maybe I can try to plant as close as possible to the headstone? I like the stone pot idea too, though don't have time to get one before. Friday when I'm due to go. I'll get some cyclamen in a pot instead of cut flowers and put them adjacent to the headstone, I think.
thanks again all x
I think primroses, wood anemones, snowdrops, miniature narcissi, crocuses, maybe even snakeshead fritillaries, naturalised in the grass, would strike the right note and survive being mown for most of the year. Flowers in early spring/late winter are evocative in a graveyard, almost symbolising rebirth.
You could get matt forming wildflower plugs to colonise the grass, creeping thyme, selfheal etc, if they let the grass grow a couple of inches between mows. Cyclamen hederifolium will also withstand mowing and come up when the grounds maintenance staff give up for the autumn.
Taller and more garish things probably would not look right, and in any case are out because of the mowing regime. With a grave I think you want it to look pretty, but low key and respecting the graves either side.
This site is so well maintained that you wont be able to drop as much a buttercup in there.
Its swept twice a day, bins emptied 3 times a day.
They do their own planting of what suits the wildlife in that area, even the compost bins are worked for ecological value.
They have won awards for best kept grounds for cleanliness and wildlife. They have trained staff who patrol the site every single day.
Definitely wont need gardening tools to find it, no need for a mashete!
I haven't read the whole thread here but it's lovely to hear how well maintained some places are. I visit my niece's grave regularly as my parents' ashes are scattered there and it's a very well kept cemetery. It's very important for people who go there I think.
Jess - just a thought re the pot if you go down that route, or even in the ground if it's dry. Some of the little sedums or saxifrages would possibly do well there. They're ideal when you can't water regularly. I've thought of putting a couple of them in because the soil's so dry under the trees. I usually just take flowers but it would be nice to have something permanent.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I dont think, after reading up on the cemetery, that Jess would get away with putting a pot there. when I sugested she put a pot there and run, I didnt realise how official the site is run.
You have to put in an application form for anything you want to place.
You could get away with it down here in Cornwall, but never in that place!
At least Jess will know that the plots are well looked ater.
There are fees to be paid and paper work to be done.
I love the idea if creeping thyme, Will. My gran or yaya', as I used to call her, was Greek and thyme featured heavily in her cooking and is found all over Greece, so that would be quite symbolic, as well as being tough and surviving the odd mower!
I went yesterday and it was just the most beautiful, balmy day here in London. I ended up cleaning the headstone, removing the little metal cut flower reservoir which was all dented and ugly, then I stuck a pot of my own in the hole left behind into which I'd put some cyclamen, as I didn't like the idea of cut flowers that would die so soon.
In front of her grave, all was covered in beautiful mown grass turf. Very tough, with some huge clods of clay underneath. I cut away a section (asked the groundsman and they said that was fine as long as I remained within the border of her plot), turned soil over as best I could, added a bit of compost and planted some yellow bulbs (she loved yellow): mini alliums toward the back so they wouldn't get mown in June, as well as some mini tulips, then closer to the front of the bare patch (about a foot and a half from the headstone) narcissi and crocuses.
i know it isn't much, but it's a start, and you've all inspired me, so I shall now go back with some creeping thyme from the garden too. There's an abandoned grave right next to hers, really close to it, so only about 30cm between the two headstones and no way for a mower to get in there, so I may plant something else in that little gap too, as long as it's small and respects the grave next to it.
it is a beautifully kept place, but no one said a word when I left my pot there. It is very small mind you and in the headstone itself.
i like the idea of sedums, Fairygirl. Very tough too.
sever all graves around my grandmas have the odd larger plant, like a rose, in between graves where there are gaps, plus an aucuba here and there...and one grave , though flush with the grass like ours and without any stone kerbs around it, was literally covered in bright pink begonias and cyclamen. Just beautiful.
the grass cutters were there on the same day as me and I had a look - they did actually make an effort not to mow down obvious larger plants on graves, which I though was nice.
I think I'll stick with buobs for now, though the turf was so heavy and tough that I wonder how much they'll be able to spread there where I didn't remove it!
im glad I went and I'll pits some photos once it's done
thank you again for all your advice xx
It sounds as if you had a lovely day with your gran - I'm so glad
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks Dove, I really did!