Just Say No to Abuse Declaring War on Terrorism. Memorial Day is the day when I, along with many other people in the United States, place flowers on the graves of our ancestors. A memorial garden can be large enough to accommodate hundreds of people, or it can be a small enclosed space, with just enough room for a bench which only seats two.
Memorial gardens can be public gardens or a hidden corner in a private garden.
What all memorial gardens have in common is that they are all outdoor chapels, intended for grieving and prayer. I helped two other Master Gardeners plant shrubs around a memorial in Gold Beach, Oregon. This is a simple, unpretentious memorial for those who have been lost at sea or had their ashes scattered over the ocean. It is located on a low dune, at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Most Americans are very private about displays of grief and our memorial gardens should reflect this.