Remembrance Garden & Oak Tree Guild

This is a project to care for a space that's tucked away on the edge of the back meadow behind our sun garden, beneath a small but well-established Oregon oak tree. I'd like to maintain a remembrance garden here for our cat who passed, Tiberius or Tibby. The goal is a peaceful space behind the garden where one can sit, feel connected, and have a cup of tea.

Our rescue cat spent a lot of time here when we first moved in and began the annual sun garden. When we laid him to rest, we built a rock circle and planted some fall bulbs, and scattered catnip seeds. They have mostly been overtaken by grass this year and in need of a little upkeep and thought. I started with chop and dropping the grasses, burdock and wild cucumber.

I've been thinking about what guild members to add around the oak. Its on a dry sunny gradually northwestern slope. I can water by hand as needed though I prefer things that can handle the heat and drought as well as some more harsh winters than average once they are established.

Guild members so far:
- Oregon gary oak
- Catnip nepeta
- Burdock
- Crocus
- Daffodils
- Asters
- Wild cucumber
- Meadow grass

What else to add:
- Other mint varieties
- Comfrey
- Raspberries
- Common Vetch
- Rose
- Other Mediterranean herbs
- Iris

-Mulch around the stone circle and add a place to sit.
-Create a wind chime from natural materials.
-To the north we plan to add a bamboo thicket. That's not really part of this project but it will eventually help shelter the sun garden and remembrance garden from wind.

Sounds like a lovely area and a special place for remembrance of your cat!

I like your mix of plants. How do daylilies or yarrow do in your area? I planted both near my trees, and they're thriving.

I too, feel this is a lovely project.

The plants all found nice, especially the catnip.

When you are finished the spot will be nice to spend time in ... remembering Tibby.

Thank you for sharing.

All the members of our families are precious to us, and this seems a beautiful, heartfelt way to express and remember that, as well as being a therapeutic way to work through it. I'm sure your Tibby would have loved sharing this space with you, this way.

Thank you for the kind messages, and for the suggestions! I'm glad I could share this project here.

Nikki, we do have yarrow and daylilies growing in the area so I'll see if I can get some propagation materials from those, too. They would be really nice additions!

Its also worth mentioning that I'll be sticking with plants that can also resist deer pressure since this is outside of the fenced gardens. I think everything so far should be fine, except maybe the raspberries.

Two things to think about,

Burdock is nice when small, but later it can get quite tall and rangy, and it has lots of seeds. I would suggest keeping it cut back somewhat. If you let it drop its seeds, in time burdock will overtake the space.

And you might consider rearranging the stones just a bit. You could move the four largest stones already there, to the outer edge of the circle, placed in the four directions. Along with the center stone you already have, that might bring in a spiritual energy that is beneficial and nice.

Over the last couple of days I've done more chop and dropping around the tree by hand, and cleared the path by the fence up the side of the garden where it is overgrown with Chinese elm trees. Pictured above with one of our current cats, Murry, supervising the work. And I spent some time drawing up a rough design map for this space and its guild. Still thinking and researching about which plants to include in each niche.



Jim, I do try stay ahead of the burdock seeding out. That is an aggressive plant! It is already present voluntarily, and part of our chop and drop routine (once or twice in the spring and early summer, to prevent it from setting seed, and again in the fall as needed). I won't be heartbroken if it doesn't persist in the space but I won't worry too much over its presence since it is useful as medicine and food.

I'm also doing some thought and research on building a hugel, swale or basin near the edge of the canopy's drip line on the uphill slope. I'm not sure of the ideal placement and size, but this would help protect the guild from run-off erosion and create a small sheltered microclimate where there is increased water retention in the soil. And help separate the guild more from the meadow. At least that's the idea. Though, there's a lot to consider especially since the tree is already well established in its place.

I finished making the sign and hung it up today. And picked some flowers from the sun garden, too.
Chop and drop and mulching continues!

Since it has been a while, here's an update on this small area -

The asters have persisted and found a home among the rocks that the grass can't overtake.

Last year, I planted white snapdragons in hopes they would self-seed in this spot, but they did not.

Spring ephemerals and bulbs are very well-suited here provided the quackgrass is managed, plan to add more. Late this summer/fall I will scatter seeds of camas.