An easy-care grave design is what many strive for due to the stressful everyday life. And in the heat of the moment, many resort to materials made from or containing plastic and other things that are harmful to the environment without even realizing it. We're sure you actually want to avoid this. How can you achieve an environmentally friendly grave design? What should you pay attention to or avoid?
Don't worry, an eco-friendly grave design is not something that will take you more time, effort and expense. But always keep a few things in mind when getting new decorations and plants for the grave.
For an environmentally friendly grave design, choose the right decorations and plants!
If we fromenvironmentally friendly design of the graveWhen we talk about it, we don't just mean the use of exclusively natural materials. There are also a few things to consider when it comes to plant selection and care so that the cemetery becomes a nature-friendly area.
Avoid harmful waste and especially non-recyclable waste
It's especially the flower pots that are simply unnecessary. This applies not only to plastic pots, but even to clay pots. Although the latter are made from natural materials, they cannot easily rot and must therefore be disposed of properly. What can you do?
- If possible, take the new plant with you to the cemetery without pots.
- You can even take them with you from the dealer without the flower pots and leave them there instead.
- It is best to take any plant pots that you took with you to the cemetery with you again. Unless they are disposed of in a sealed container (for recyclable waste), they can quickly end up in the wild due to winds or even wild animals.
- In tree nurseries, for example, you can often give away empty pots.
- If you want to plant flowers in a pot, a peat pot is the ideal option. This is also a good idea if the ground is already frozen.
Other materials, which should have no place in the cemetery, or at least must be disposed of properly in any case, are:
- Wires with plastic coating/sheathing
- Styrofoam
- Floral foam
- Plastic base and elements for wreaths and arrangements
When purchasing, make sure that such materials are not included. They can all be replaced with wood or peat. You can also keep this in mind for the upcoming All Saints' Day arrangements.
More on the topic “Grave design for All Saints’ Day”you can get it here.
Above allCandle lanternsare one of those things that are not thought about. You set it on fire and then usually leave the cemetery while it continues to burn. What remains is the plastic lantern, which is then carried around by the wind - beautifully light due to the lack of a candle. Lanterns are a better alternative because they are more stable. Ideally, you should invest in one made of stone, which will then be fixed to the grave.
Choose the right plants
Grave decorations made from natural materials provide insects with shelter and good living conditions. Of course, you can enhance this even further with the right plants. No matter whether a seasonal oryear-round grave plantingIf you have planned, try to include as many insect-friendly flowers and plants as possible. This is particularly advantageous in cities:
- Non-invasive grasses, for example, offershelter for insects in winter.
- Native flowers and shrubs provide food with their blossoms. And there are plenty of robust species that are also ideal for easy-care grave design.
- With seasonal planting, you can provide insects with food in early spring with the first early bloomers and into late autumn with late bloomers.
- Larger trees can sometimes provide nesting places.
Important when choosing live and cut flowers:
- If you use exotic plants, it doesn't always have an advantage for our insect world.
- Plants imported from far away have already polluted the environment through transportation. Don't support this, instead use native species if possible.
- Cut flowers from overseas are also unsuitable for an environmentally friendly grave design. Their ecological balance is also poor due to transport.
- Cut flowers for wreaths and arrangements do not last long and are unnecessary. They can be avoided due to the reasons above. Instead, choose durable natural materials such as bark or pine cones
Prepare the earth for an environmentally friendly grave design
Since you can't water the plants as often as you would in your own garden or balcony, you naturally want soil with water-storing properties on the grave. Many people choose peat, which is obtained from bogs. In order to design your grave (or garden), a habitat somewhere else is destroyed. However, you can use more nature-friendly materials for your substrate, namely:
- wood fibers
- Compound
- Rindenhumus
The role of plant care
Nature-friendly grave planting and grave decoration are far from enough. Because in order for everything to fulfill its purpose, it must also be looked after. There's not much to say about the decoration. As far as plants are concerned, yes. Of course, you can only benefit nature if you keep them alive. But that doesn't mean that you should use chemical pesticides indiscriminately to combat pests and diseases, for example. On the contrary! If necessary, always try it firstnatural methods and means.
