Beautiful plants and flowers once adorned grave sites all across America. Lovingly planted by grieving loved ones, the roses and iris often naturalized, surviving on their own long after the family has moved on. Some of the old rose varieties thought lost have been rediscovered in pioneer cemeteries.
Before tended lawn and flat headstones, Victorian cemeteries became gardens of monuments and flowers. In some cities gardeners have rediscovered these beautiful quiet places as exceptional places to rehabilitate into public open space. In Sacramento, the Old City Cemetery which hosts graves of some of the region’s famous historic figures has become a sight to behold every spring. Low key but tended by loving hands, this is an exceptional visit in April.
Efforts to repair retaining walls, add arches and create beds of perennials along with seas of the state’s flower, the California poppy, the cemetery contains a wealth of ideas. Above all it tells local gardeners what they can grow at home to create equally as fabulous results. Yes, this is more fertile soil than most, but perhaps that is why cemetery plants have managed to survive so long.
There are cemetery gardens all over America, but you must go into the older parts of town to find the standing monuments. Visit or begin your own local project to rehabilitate older sites and offer urban residents a chance to get their hands dirty in the soil. With land so scarce, these graveyards take on a new role as quiet places for rest and reflection among the ancestors.