I have one in memory of my mother who passed away in Oct. 2001.

It is full of the perennial plants that where in her small garden that she had in an apartment complex.
Every spring I add the WS annual seedlings from seeds that came from her annuals that where in the same bed.

I also have the original list of plants that she had planned on adding to her gardens and was never able to do so.

Every year I add more and more of those plants that I have WS.

The bed has these perennials from her garden

columbine songbird robin
dwarf balloon plant
dianthus firewitch
daylily catherine woodbury
columbine origami blue
new england aster
pink japanese anemone
hardy iceplant cooperi

these annuals from her annual plants

dark pink balsam impatiens
pink petunias
dwarf pink and white cleome
malva zebrina

since planting the garden I've added, from her list of plants

hardy pink, white and fushia foxglove
pink violas
taller cleome
pink and white 4 o'clocks
chinese forget me nots
pink gazania
white alyssum

and a pile of new annuals and perennials ws this year to add to the bed.

It also has all of her garden statues that she had in her bed as well.

B-52 bomber flowers HMMM. that would be something that has big, bold flowers.

How about bright red cannas? They have huge leaf foliage and the flowers are big bold and red.?

Fran

Oh Fran, how special that you actually have all of those plants and even plans for your Moms garden!! I do recall seeing your post with pictures of it with all of the nice statues and all.

The last time I saw Mom outside of the hospital, I was showing her my WS Sprouts! She was thrilled and commented how she would love to be able to do it and see the seeds sprouting! (sigh)

I actually dont really like canna's (shhh..dont tell)
How about some type of Native American theme? Dad was into all things American Indian, hey, I have some Nicotiana Indian Peace Pipe, any other ideas?

How about Indian paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)?

I was shopping online for iris the other day, and a bunch of the names struck me as being perfect for my dad, who was in the Navy. (I bought Follow the Fleet, Sea Wolf, and Navy Blues). I don't know where I'll plant them yet. There are so many named Irises and Daylilies--many either have someone's first name, or a name that strikes a chord. From the B-52 reference, I guess your dad was in the Air Force? Some ideas are an iris called "American Patriot," and there's "Walking on Air" and "Frequent Flyer," which fit in with a flying theme. There's also one called Indian Chief.

You could look at some iris and daylily sites for names that jump out at you, or come up with some words and google something like Daylily and Indian and see what comes up.

I've only bought irises from one place, Stoney Creek, I like them and their prices. I may be buying some daylilies soon too, hopefully I'll find a place that doesn't charge a crazy amount for shipping.

I hope you're able to find some more things for your dad's memorial. It seems like your mom's is very nicely planned out.

After my mother died, I created a new bed & before I knew it, I was planting it with plants in memory of those that were gone. While I tried to plant people's favorites, sometimes I wasn't sure of them or they wouldn't grow well in my space, so I stretched a little. I've included plants that bloom in someone's favorite color, plants from seeds or cuttings of one of their plants, & my favorite "stretch"-for a friend who was a microbrew fan-hops!

how about balloon flower it could be like a "bomb" when it opens.

Fran,

I would love to see pictures if you can share.
I am planning a Memorial Pet garden this year.
I have a ST Francis of Assisi statue to use.

I would also love to include family members that
have passed. I have only planted Miniature Iris
reticulata on my dads grave.

My mom passed in January and
I plan on putting some around her side of the
headstone as well. It is tough to plan plants
for the Cemetery as they don't get tended often.

Mary

My Mom loved Butterflies. I planted a Butterfly Garden a year ago last Fall...my first attempt at gardening of any kind. It doesn't get enough sun to support most nectar plants (host plants do okay) so I've had to plant a LOT of pots to get sun.

It started out with me just putting in some Tulips my father tried to grow for my mother and couldn't for 30 years because the deer/rabbits ate them. I wanted to give them back to him so I plant bulbs and spray the life out of them with repellant.

After that I became determined to attract butterflies and it's grown from there. Hard to find things critters don't eat but manage many plants with variety of protection
methods.

Did your father fly a B-52 in Europe during WWII? If so, Flanders Poppies are a natural symbol of that.

Native American lore is full of Hummingbird references so maybe you could plant some things with nectar for Hummers.

http://hummingbirdworld.com/h/native_american.htm

Annual salvia (coccinea) was a big hit and Agastache of many varieties as well. Mixed in with some smaller native grass (Little Bluestem) it would be a pretty Hummer retreat. Deer browse the bluestem so I don't have it. :(

The Hummingbirds fly just like your Dad did!

Besides "hummer" plants you can use other native flowering plants.

The 'Native American Seed' site is linked from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Their prices are very high but you can go through their seed offerings to get an idea of what native american flowers you might grow and then hopefully find the seed cheaper somewhere else.

I've seen things like annual Texas Blue Bonnet (lupine), native red Columbine, annual/perennial Coreopsis, Gaillardia (Indian Blanket), Mealy Blue Sage, etc. on the seed rack in food markets and box stores around here so some are readily available.

That Indian Paint Brush is said to look very pretty with the Texas Blue Bonnet as they bloom about same time in their natural habitat.

It's a beautiful thing...gets me rambling too much.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ideas for Native American Flowers

I'm so glad for this thread! I can't have a memorial garden for my mother because her plants have all different
kinds of needs. I have the actual DNA of her own plants.

Her garden moved from her home to a garden apartment in 1969. Her garden moved from the garden apartment to window boxes and containers on a balcony of a second floor apt. in 1983. It moved to indoor pots and walks and wheelchair rides around common areas in retirement housing in 1988.Each time she moved I acquired a few special things

I have Hardy Bamboo (Fallugia?) which shielded her Trash cans behind the garage at her home, coreopsis grandiflora
before the hybrids were developed, valeriana officinalis
whose fragrance is always present as this Indianapolis
native listens to the Indy 500 on Memorial Day Weekend.
I have several clumps of coralbells before they became
Heuchera and turned into foliage plants and finally in
my list and in the season Begonia Evansi, hardy begonia.

They continue all over our yard and garden and get labeled
with their Latin names plus the designation "Esther's
Collection" whenever I share starts of them or sell divisions at the Garden Club sale.

Thanks for the chance to remember.
Chris

How sweet to start a memorial garden. I lost my 9 yr. old grandson [ heart disease] and did the same thing. After much thought, I planted an Eastern redbud tree because it has heart shaped leaves and blooms in a beautiful mauve color, which he loved. Try to think of your dad's favorite color. For everyone we loose, I try to put another plant in the garden. I put Heather in for it was the same name as a dear friend's daughter who was killed in an accident. It seems, sadly, the garden is getting bigger and bigger. I am going to make some bricks, out of concrete, and then put loved ones names on them and scatter them around my memorial garden. I found this kit at a local store and it includes the brick form and the plastic alphabet to press the name into the concrete. I put a concrete angle in the middle of the garden and a bench on the edge. It's a very welcoming area to all. I hope I have given you a few ideas. I'm sure your mom would be proud of what you're doing.

Fries: I'm a follower of St. Francis and plan to make markers this year for all the pets I've lost over the years. It won't be expensive, but will help me remember all the wonderful animals that have added so much to my life. I plan to mark plants that remind me of each pet. My "Birdy," a wonderful Blue Doberman taken much too soon, will get a post under the Delphiniums.

Prof (I'm dabbing at my eyes)

Speaking of pets.. we planted a white garden in memory of Ignatius, our dear border collie who lived to be 16. I've banished white from the rest of my garden, but only in Iggy's corner, you will find a mix of coneflower 'white swan', obedient plant, salvia 'snow hill', balloon flower 'axminster', and wild quinine.