Author: restashured

While cremation has been around for thousands of years, modern cremation memorials are relatively new. Often, people don’t know how to lay someone to rest in a cremation garden. At Rest Ashured, we created a special space just for this type of event. 

In our garden, we scatter the ashes that people send to us with reverence and dignity. 

It’s a labor of love for us. We journey to our mountaintop property on beautiful days with your loved one’s ashes. From there, you can see the glory of nature with the rolling Blue Ridge mountains and rushing James River.

We gently release ashes over our garden. Then, we mark the location with a stone containing the individual’s name and life dates.

Table of Contents

Rest Ashured’s Cremation Garden
Selecting a Scattering Site
Sending Your Ashes
How do you scatter the ashes? How do I pick the date?
What do you say when you scatter ashes?
Do I get pictures of the ash scattering process?
What are the fees involved?
Visiting Your Loved One’s Memorial
Can we be present at the scattering?
Can I visit the memorial?
Prayers to Read at a Cremation Memorial
Poems to Read for an Ash Scattering Memorial
Bible Verses to Read When Visiting a Memorial

Most people have a lot of questions about the process and we’re happy to answer them.

Laying Someone to Rest in a Cremation Garden

When you have cremation ashes after a memorial service, you can wait any length of time before deciding to scatter them. Some people even keep them for years while they grieve. Once you’re ready, a scatter garden creates a wonderful place to release the ashes and say goodbye.

Rest Ashured’s Cremation Garden

Our garden creates a unique resting place that is both majestic and tranquil. It’s a private property in the Blue Ridge Mountains with views of the James River. On our property, we have a scatter garden where we scatter cremation ashes. The area is protected and contains markers with the name of each person scattered there. 

We were inspired to create this scatter garden by our own family’s experience with loss and grief. Over time, many people have laid the ashes of family and friends to rest in this garden memorial.

Selecting a Scattering Site  

If your loved one passed away without specifying a scattering site, a cremation garden provides a peaceful and meaningful scatter location. We properly registered our property for cremation ash scattering and have long-term plans in place to ensure the sanctity of the location. These are important points to note when you’re selecting a scattering site. It’s illegal to scatter human ash in most public places. Additionally, many private spaces won’t remain intact over time if they aren’t set aside as a memorial site.

Sending Your Ashes  

For those who choose to send their ashes to us, we help you through the process. First, we ask you to pick a scattering service. On our mountaintop, you can either choose to scatter the ashes over the garden or plant them with a memorial tree. 

Then, we’ll send you a package with all the necessary packing materials. It has the appropriate boxes, labels, tape, and simple shipping instructions. 

Then, you ship the package to us. You can drop it off at the local post office. (We also offer personal pickup for certain areas.)

How do you scatter the ashes? How do I pick the date?

Once we receive your package, we plan a time to scatter the ashes. Most of the time, we choose a day with mild weather. If you have selected a tree, there are seasonal considerations to ensure the tree takes root. 

Sometimes, people request scattering on a certain date. We can discuss that detail over the phone after you place your order.

What do you say when you scatter ashes?

In general, we send up a silent, respectful prayer as we release the ashes. Sometimes, people request a small statement, verse, or poem. If you have a special request, you can discuss this with us as we’re reviewing your order.

Can we be present at the scattering?

In general, our ash scatterings are unattended. This helps us keep the property pristine and undisturbed. However, we can discuss other options if you have a special request.

Do I get pictures of the ash scattering process?

Everyone who sends us ashes gets a certificate of release marking the date and exact location of the scattering. We also can send a picture of the marker or the memorial tree upon request.

What are the fees involved?

Our pricing varies depending on the service. A memorial stone in our scatter garden costs $275. A memory tree costs $425. We also offer options for scattering couples’ ashes and other special requests. You can see all of these by reviewing our services.

Visiting Your Loved One’s Memorial  

Although the ash scattering ceremony is unattended, we do open up our property twice a year to visitors. We call this our Day of Celebration.

Can I visit the memorial?

We hold one Day of Celebration during the spring and the fall. You’ll be notified by email prior to the event so you can plan to visit your loved one’s marker. 

On these days, we encourage friends and family members to visit, remember and reflect.

Prayers to Read at a Cremation Memorial

We’ve collected the following prayers to inspire your words when you visit your loved one’s scattering site.

A Funeral Prayer by Gregory Coles (Source)

I cry for those of us left behind, for the lonely ones with hollows in our hearts. I ask You to comfort us, give peace, restore hope, and lavish us with love, family, and belonging. In the depths of loss, meet us with Yourself.

I cry for the legacy this loved one leaves, for the ways the world has been made different by their presence, for the memories that become both more beautiful and more painful on this side of death. And I pray that the work You have accomplished in this remarkable life will grow deeper, wider, and stronger in the days to come, uninhibited by a weak opponent like death. 

A Prayer of Comfort from Liturgy and Agenda (1921), p. 134 (Source) 

O Lord God, Lord of life and death,
you turn man to dust and say,
“Return, O children of men,”
we give you thanks for all the mercies
which during his life you bestowed
on this our beloved brother, now fallen asleep.
Especially do we praise you
for having brought him to the knowledge
of your dear Son Jesus Christ.
Comfort the survivors
with your everlasting comfort,
and cheer them with the sweet hope
of a blessed reunion in heaven.
Grant to the lifeless body
rest in the bosom of the earth,
and hereafter, together with us all,
a joyful resurrection to life everlasting.
Teach us all to number our days
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom,
and finally be saved;
through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son,
our Lord and Savior. Amen.

A Prayer for Friends by Thomas à Kempis (Source)

Almighty and eternal God,
have mercy on your servants, our friends.
Keep them continually under your protection,
and direct them according to your gracious favor
in the way of eternal salvation.
May they desire whatever pleases you,
and with all their strength strive to do it.
As they trust in your mercy, O Lord,
graciously assist them with your heavenly help,
that they may always diligently serve you,
and be separated from you by no temptations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Poems to Read for an Ash Scattering Memorial

The following poems provide comfort and hope during the grieving process.

There Is No Night Without a Dawning by Helen Steiner Rice (Source)

There is no night without a dawning
No winter without a spring
And beyond the dark horizon
Our hearts will once more sing…
For those who leave us for a while
Have only gone away
Out of a restless, care worn world
Into a brighter day.

She Is Gone by David Harkins (Source)

You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

Turn Again to Life by Mary Lee Hall (Source)

If I should die and leave you here a while,
be not like others sore undone, who keep
long vigils by the silent dust, and weep.
For my sake – turn again to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
something to comfort weaker hearts than thine.
Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine
and I, perchance may therein comfort you.

Bible Verses to Read When Visiting a Memorial

We appreciate the hope found in the following Bible verses.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NIV)

“And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” 

Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

“My heart is broken, my mind exhausted. I cry out to you and hardly know what to ask. All I can do is tell you how I feel and ask you to keep track of all my sorrows, collect all my tears in your bottle, and record each one in your book as I pour them out to you.” 

Exodus 22:27 (ESV)

“And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.” 

Psalm 31:9 (NIV)

“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” 

Ask About Our Scatter Garden in Virginia

We provide reverent ash scattering options atop our beautiful mountain property in Virginia. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the property surrounding our garden remains very much in its natural state. We’ve cleared the landscape only enough to enhance the breathtaking views and maintain the scattering area. 

If you have questions about laying ashes to rest in our garden, we can help. Please get in touch with us. Call 434-534-4007 or email us at info@restashured.com.

They say time heals. After a loved one has passed away, the length of mourning varies from person to person. People find comfort in many different moments and rituals from a formal funeral to a celebratory memorial service. If your loved one chose cremation, the timeline can move more slowly than traditional burial or interment. Many people choose to keep the ashes in an urn for a period of time. Then, you can release them whenever you’re ready. In these situations, memorial gardens create the ideal resting place because of their quiet, natural beauty.

“All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!”

-Harry Scott-Holland, Death is Nothing at All (SOURCE)

Choosing a spot for the release is highly personal. If your loved one did not specify where they’d like to be scattered, or if they chose a place where scattering is not permitted, we suggest a memory garden as a peaceful resting place.

Table of Contents

Appreciate Natural Views
Use Nature’s Soundtrack
Attract Wildlife
Create Moments of Reflection
Offer Relief from Daily Commotion

Most memory gardens are private properties that have been registered for ash scattering. They are created with the long-term in mind. They’re set far away from busy, metropolitan areas or properties slated for development. 

These scattering gardens provide subtle landscaping. The changes only enhance the beauty of the surroundings and provide room for scattering location markers. 

Many of these ash scattering locations even allow you to visit semi-annually. This creates a beautiful tradition to honor the life of the person scattered in the garden. It allows you to grieve on your own timeline. 

You can scatter the ashes whenever you’re ready. Then, visit over the years to celebrate their life.

Memorial Gardens Create a Peaceful Resting Place

If you’re choosing between a traditional cemetery and a memory garden, you may enjoy the peaceful, natural setting of a cremation scattering garden.

1. Memory Gardens Appreciate Natural Views

Unlike traditional cemeteries or mausoleums, garden memorials for cremated ashes coexist within their natural settings. They don’t alter the natural views with large monuments, buildings, or other constructions. Instead, the best memory gardens create just enough structure to memorialize the area without destroying the natural beauty of the garden memorial.

At our Scatter Garden in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we’ve cleared only enough to enhance the breathtaking views. From our garden, you can see portions of the James River with a small waterfall. Every hour of the day brings a new phase of the sun. In the morning, the sunrise peeks out from behind clouds that nestle just across the river. Throughout the day, the rays shine through leaves and branches. In the evening, the colorful sunset splashes across the horizon until it sets behind the mountains. 

2. Memory Gardens Use Nature’s Soundtrack

In stark contrast to a mournful funeral dirge, or the clamor of cars on busy roads, memory gardens offer the twittering of birds. Soft, soothing sounds of rustling leaves will echo around these natural settings. Can you imagine visiting your loved one’s memorial and listening to the happy chatter of wildlife?

At Rest Ashured, we use native plants and trees to encourage the local wildlife to make their homes around our scatter garden. As a result, birds, squirrels, and insects provide a pleasant soundtrack to peaceful surroundings. When the breeze is still, you can even hear the soft rush of the river in the distance.

3. Memory Gardens Attract Joyful Wildlife

As we mentioned above, memory gardens encourage animals, birds, and insects to make their home around the area. This differs from cemeteries that often discourage wildlife from visiting the property. 

When you open up the landscape to this natural ecosystem, it comes alive with the joy of new life. You may see a bird’s nest full of eggs in the springtime or spot bees buzzing around the nearby flowers. We encourage these happy interactions because they add to the vibrant memorial garden cemetery.

4. Memory Gardens Create Moments of Reflection

When you visit a memory garden, the quiet landscape beckons. It’s ideal for moments of reflection — especially during occasions like our Days of Celebration. When family members and friends visit our location, they see the marker for where their loved one was scattered.

This creates a serene moment — not only to celebrate the person’s life but also, to soak in the comforting, natural surroundings.

When you are saying goodbye, these moments of reflection become a vital part of healing. You can enjoy the quiet and soak in nature while viewing your loved one’s marker.

5. Memory Gardens Offer Relief from Daily Commotion

While there is some cell phone service as our private, remote location — it’s mostly distraction-free. We encourage visitors to put their phones aside for our twice-annual days of celebration and take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Visitors won’t hear the hum of traffic or the bleep of devices.

Buzzing cell phones are replaced by buzzing bees. Chattering squirrels drown out the memory of traffic jams. And rushing winds overwhelm the whirr of white noise.

These moments of relief become an important part of the grieving and eventual healing process. A memory garden creates the chance to break out from daily life. You can visit your loved one’s resting place without distraction.

Send Your Loved One to Rest in a Memory Garden

Memory gardens remain the ideal resting spot for anyone looking for a peaceful, remote place to put cremation ashes to rest. They’re usually solitary and natural — perfect for nature lovers. 

If you have questions about whether a scatter garden is right for you, please get in touch with us. We’re here to make the process as smooth as possible. Call 434-534-4007 or email us at info@restashured.com.