If you have a yard, what a perfect reason to set up a memorial garden. It doesn’t have to be fancy. A few plants and flowers and a simple home made memorial marker carved out of wood is perfect. It would be a great theme for the perfect country garden. Just imagine how it will make you feel.

Exchanging plants with another friend or member of the family, who also has a memorial garden, can be a lot of fun. Make a party out of it. Remember what your mom or dad liked or what they reminded you of--and add it to your garden.

If your dad reminded you of an outdoorsman, then adding things to your garden might be fishing gear, hunting gear, hiking gear or camping gear or all the above. If he was a sports lover, then golf, baseball, football, basketball, soccer or any other sport may be what you’re looking for. If your dad was handy with tools, then make a memorial of him on your workbench and create a theme for your workshop, like—for instance, Harold’s Workshop: “In Memory of my Dad,” would fit in nicely off to the side or on a pegboard.

If your dad passed away and left you an old truck, hardly worth fixing, drill some big holes in the bottom of the truck bed for drainage, shovel a heaping pile of topsoil, then have fun planting a memorial garden on his old pickup truck, then create a theme for it.

If your mom reminds you of gardening, put her favorite tools in her garden and create a theme. When my mother passed away, and we sold her house, I gathered up most of her plants and flowers she loved and hauled them over to my house. Then I carved a heart--shaped out of wood, painted it pink, and in red lettering I put the words Amanda’s Garden. It was really cool. I had a memorial garden in memory of my mom. It was so special, because now I could tend the garden where she left off and keep the living plants alive.

If your mom was an outstanding cook, and you really weren’t the gardener she was or you didn’t have a yard, create the memorial inside your home--in the kitchen, by hanging a plate to the wall that say the words--for instance, Dorothy’s Kitchen: “In Memory of my Mom.” Any engraving shop will fix you up. Place her favorite recipes out for others to see. If she loved to can pickles or preserves, and if you have any of her canned goods left over, proudly display them.

Now it’s time for brother or sister. Think of the things that remind you of them, then make a memorial out of it. Your sister’s busy cell phone or your brother’s loud guitar or drums, make great additions to a memorial.