Flowering crabapple

 

I love having special events in my daughter's memory, and three years ago we had a tree-planting ceremony in her memory. We chose a pink, flowering crabapple tree.

The coolest part of the ceremony, I thought, was that I gave a slip of paper and a pen to each person there, and asked them to write a favorite quote, an inspirational thought or a memory of Isabelle. They gladly took the opportunity.

The folded slips of paper were then dropped into the hole where the tree would be planted. I visualized the words giving nourishment to the roots, and today this beautiful crabapple tree continues to grow and blooms brilliant, fragrant pink flowers each spring. 

PLANTING TIPS
Before planting trees in your yard, I recommend these tips:

• Do a quick, at-home soil test. By doing this 10-minute test, I learned that our soil was extremely low in phosphates and nitrogen. I bought Jobe tree spikes and added one to the ground when we planted the tree.
• Make it memorable. Take pictures, read the Dragonfly poem or Gone from My Sight, or ask someone to say a prayer as everyone holds hands.
• Call before you dig! 811 is the universal number to call. If you aren't certain about underground power lines, call 811 or vist www.call811.com for more information. In most states it's a free service to mark utility and power lines.

 
Check out photos from my memorial garden! I'll be posting new summer photos soon.