Ancient Tomb Rings: Garden

Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts

Sunday, 10 June 2012

The Art of Gifting Garden Stepping Stones

Learn more about Ancient Tomb Rings and the art of Engraving

Every gardener loves "accessorizing" her garden. Whimsical or formal, sentimental or practical, garden ornaments complete a garden by further extending the gardener's personality beyond plant selection. Trellises, gazing balls, wind chimes and bird baths are traditional offerings. As families landscape more of their yards, creating nooks and crannies for enjoying the outdoors, garden stepping stones have become very popular. The variety of stepping stones is endless. When considering a gift for a gardener, think about creating a stepping stone just for them. A personalized stepping stone, with high-quality engraving is a unique, personal gift that will add to a garden's ambiance for years ahead.

To create a piece of art that will be forever part of a garden, consider your recipient's interests beyond gardening. If your intended loves to read, a quote by Dickinson or Frost is in order. If the family's faithful feline hangs out in the garden, an engraved cat silhouette pays tribute to this "gardening assistant." (Every chipmunk chased away, is a lily flower saved!) Golfing fanatics will smile when receiving a series of stones with "birdie," "fore" and "Hole in One" engraved into them.

Personalized stepping stones make great gifts for non-gardeners as well. Commemorate special occasions by having a stepping stone engraved. Celebrate a new birth with the newborn's name and date. Help new couples remember their wedding, and a proud bowler his first perfect game! Engraved stepping stones in landscape beds near a house's front door tell stories of the family inside, each a reminder of important life events. The gift of an engraved garden stepping stone for a special occasion will be appreciated long after the event, and will give the best gift of all. Each time the recipient steps over the stone, it will conjure memories of joyous times past.

Beth Engel is the owner of EpicMerchandise.com, a premier gift site specializing in personalized gifts. She features an exclusive line of hard to find personalized engraved garden stepping stones all made of natural slate. She can be reached using the "contact us" page of the website.

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Saturday, 9 June 2012

Pet Memorial Garden Stones For Your Loved Ones

Learn more about Ancient Tomb Rings and the art of Engraving

There are very few rare people who grieve for their pets, just like they would when a member of the family passes away. It is true that pets outlive their owners and when you truly love them, it is immensely difficult to let them 'go'. You stick to the memories and find the separation unbearable.

These days, there are new ways to mourn the passing of your beloved pet. You can choose to preserve them in pet urns or you can create a per memorial garden. A pet memorial garden is a landscapes portion of land where a beautiful memorial stone can be laid and decorated with flowers and greenery that reminds you of the moments you spent with the loved ones.

What does it indicate when you choose pet memorial garden stones?

Firstly, it indicates that you are trying to cope up with the loss of your pet and in doing so, you are seeking closure.

Secondly, the choice implies a befitting tribute to honor the life and love the loved one shared with you, during its short lifetime.

Thirdly, you are able to seek and lend support to each other and come to terms with the departure as a collective unity.

Fourthly, the pet memorial stone is also an indication of your desire to remember it through eternity. The memorial stone is the little resting place, an evidence of a life well lived.

What kind of pet memorial garden stones can you choose?

Natural River Rock Stones - It is the most popular of the natural materials to make memorial stone. It has flat surface with smooth edges because of erosion from moving water.

Limestone Rock - It looks like an original rock urn. In a limestone memorial rock, you have a small hollowed out place inside where you can place the ashes. On the top of it is the engraving that has details about the pet - its name, age, and a personalized message.

Other than the above 2 popular options, you have the flat stone memorial where you can have a picture of the pet engraved onto the stone.

You can purchase the personalized engraved stones online but make sure to place the orders in advance.

How to Use Engraved Stones in a Backyard Memorial Garden

Learn more about Ancient Tomb Rings and the art of Engraving

Although nothing can completely ease the pain of the loss of a loved one or pet, creating your own garden memorial with personalized engraved stones can help a bit as you create a haven at home where you can honor their life and memories. Stones with your personalized engraving are often used as focal points in remembrance memorial gardens at home but there are different aspects to consider when planning a backyard memorial garden and before you order the engraved stones.

First, decide if you will only feature one larger rock or if you prefer to have several engraved stones. How can you decide? The following questions can help you to narrow it down. Will it be a memorial honoring one single person or pet, or, several? Do you want to make a garden around one focal point and area, or, do you want to line a pathway with multiple stones and plants along the way? Do you think you'd enjoy having one stone featuring the name and multiple aspects of the individual or pet, or, might you prefer having several stones featuring different words or phrases all remembering one person, dog, or cat? Clearly, there are a variety of alternatives when deciding on engraved stones and memorials for your garden, but don't get bogged down with this, as none of these is the "right" answer, it's just a matter of personal preference. Any one of these ideas can provide a beautiful memorial remembrance in your garden.

How much is in your budget for this memorial garden with engraved stones project? This is another factor you will need to consider in your planning. Although larger stones cost more, you can typically include more engraved words (even poems) on a larger engraved stone than on a smaller one. On the other hand, several small stones may fit the sentiments as well, just spread out over several separate stones, and perhaps at a similar or lower overall cost.

Other issues to think about when planning your memorial garden include whether or not to include other accents or decor, as well as plant and flower choices. For example, will you want to include additional features such as a sitting bench, a gazing ball, or personalized wind chimes in your memorial garden? Other decisions involve choosing the plants and flowers for your memorial garden. Find varieties that will be easy to maintain. However, also consider plants or flowers that particularly pleased your loved one or that are your own personal favorites.

Finally, some may want to try to choose the stone type or coloring of the stones. However, if you are selecting natural stones, you will probably find this is not usually feasible. This is because natural stones come in various colors, shapes, and sizes, and every one is unique. Natural river stones, for example, come in their own special colors and with natural imperfections and "flaws" crafted by nature. So, it appears, the color and shape of the stone may best be left up to nature and destiny. Ultimately, as long as the engraving and sentiment says just what you want, your engraved stones and memorial garden will be just right and ready to touch the hearts of family and friends for years to come.

Liz Hekimian-Williams writes about home and family topics for Giftsprings and other websites. She enjoys the beauty of engraved natural stones along with their versatility for use in garden memorials or as other personalized gift ideas. Visit http://www.tlcmemorialstones.com to find memorial wording examples or go to http://www.giftsprings.com/category/estones when you're ready to design your own custom engraved stones and get your idea underway.