Register now for Sept. 8 memory garden workshop

     After the success of last year’s memory garden workshop, the free program will again be offered on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Jones County Youth Development Center in Monticello.

     Coming together to host the event are Above & Beyond Home Health and Hospice, the Monticello Public Library, and Jones County Extension and Outreach.

     Individuals, families and groups are encouraged to sign up in advance by calling the library at 319-465-3354. Registration is limited to just 30 memory gardens, and 15 gardens have already been committed thus far. (Children must be accompanied by an adult.)

     “People have been asking us to do it again,” said Andrea Chapman with Above & Beyond.

     MaDonna Thoma-Kremer with the library said many people last year thought it was such a wonderful idea.

     “You saw grandparents with grandkids there to share their memories,” she said.

     Chapman said it was great to a dad and son attend together and build a memory garden in honor of a grandparent who passed away.

     The memory garden event coincides with Grief Awareness Day, which was Aug. 30.

     “People can come and create new memories together with family members,” encouraged Chapman. She said it’s great seeing multi-generational family members work together on something like this.

     Sept. 9 also happens to be Grandparents Day, another perfect opportunity to share and create memories with family, added Kremer.

     “Your memories can be anything,” she said. “It can be a memory of a family member, a pet, any type of grief.”

     Supplies for the memory gardens will be provided:

     • A variety of containers

     • Soil

      • Rocks

     • Plants and succulents

     • Silk flowers

     • Craft materials

     • Miniature trinkets and knick-knacks

     There will also be small sign to include in your gardens to name the garden in honor or memory of someone.

     If you have small items that remind you of a loved one that you would like to include in your memory garden, Chapman said bring any additional items along, as well as your creativity.

     “You can center your garden around that item,” she said of themed gardens.

     Using succulent plants, Chapman explained they typically do not require a lot of attention. “They do well in gardens that require less work,” she said.

     Knowing that, Kremer said memory gardens tend to be the perfect decoration for a loved one who might be in the hospital, in a car center, or homebound.

     “It’s something small that doesn’t need a lot of care,” she said.

     A few years ago, Kremer said she approached Above & Beyond about the possibility of offering a memory garden workshop after hearing about fairy gardens.

     “I wanted to turn it into something more,” she said. “And memory gardens fits well with Above & Beyond’s mission and grief awareness.”