While many people think of scattering their deceased loved one's cremated remains into a picturesque public area, you might alternatively wish to keep things closer to home. One idea is to put the cremated remains into your garden. This may especially be a nice idea if your deceased family member was an avid gardening enthusiast. You can simply scatter the remains over the garden, but another approach that some people take is to rake the remains into the dirt. This way, they won't simply blow away when the wind picks up. Here are some steps to take for this approach.
Choose The Right Rake
You can technically use any rake for this special ceremony, but the idea of using a dirty and perhaps worn-out rake for something so important might not seem very appropriate. Depending on the condition of your rake, you might wish to at least wash it with the garden hose and scrub it with a brush in advance of the ceremony. Alternatively, many people choose to buy a new rake, just as people commonly use a new shovel for a construction groundbreaking ceremony. A shiny new rake is highly suitable for this ceremony.
Prepare The Area In Advance
Before the ceremony begins, you should prepare the area of the garden onto which you'll be scattering the cremated remains and raking them in. Select a bare patch of the garden; the ease of doing so will depend on the time of the year and how the garden is planted. You may wish to pull up any weeds in this designated area, simply to make it look nicer.
Decide The Ceremony Order
You should give some thought to how you want to proceed with the ceremony to scatter and rake the cremated remains. One approach is to have this ceremony only open to immediate family members, which usually works well because you may not be able to accommodate a large crowd in your yard. Think of who may wish to offer some remarks or memories, and then have someone dump the remains from the urn in the designated area.
One idea is to have each family member make a couple passes with the rake to rake the remains into the earth. Some people may favor planting a type of plant in this area afterward; if so, choose something that has significance, such as a plant that the deceased person enjoyed.
For more information about where and how to scatter a loved one's cremains, contact a funeral home that offers cremation services.
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