Creating a Meditation Garden

and Installing

a Columbarium

Unitarian Universalist Church of Bowling Green

Submitted November 2015 by the Garden Design Task Force

What we have now…

Round WindowEmpty Niche for Columbarium Circular Pit and Concrete Walkway

Dark rock borderLight gravel baseSome larger rocks

What could

we do withwhatwe

have?

Niche

Walkway

Gravel

Dark Rock

Round Window

Circle

We could create paths.

A paved path for easy accessibility to the niche and circle

A path of stepping stones, for another way to travel

We could add a “water” element.While adding a fountain or a pond would be complicated and expensive, we can create a sense of water with- a dry “pond” of raked sand- a basin stone that catches rainwater- a rain chain

Water from the Water Ceremony or other rituals could be poured into the water basin.

We could install a Columbarium.

As time and money permit, we can install a columbarium in the niche, to hold people’s ashes.

Each container has a stone faceplate which can be engraved with names and dates.

About the Columbarium

Some containers are single; some are double.

As many 90 spaces can fit in the niche. -30 single containers on top-30 double containers on bottom

We could add living plants.The dark rocks near the door to the Fellowship Hall could be replaced with dirt. Shenandoah Switch Grass could provide movement and color.

Vines could provide ground cover. A small tree in a container could provide shade.

The plants would provide seasonal interest and remind us of the transition between life and death.

Shenandoah Switch Grass

American Smoke Tree

We could add seating.

Benches along the walls would invite us to come in and stay a while.

We could add a marker at the entrance.

We could add a column engraved with “Meditation Garden ” topped with a solar-powered lantern .

We could add sculpture.A sculpture could be

installed, perhaps a flaming chalice or a crane.

In China and Japan, cranes are a symbol of long life.

We could add sound.

A wind chime could create

music from the air.

We could bring all the elements together

Earth Rock and Soil

Water Rain basin

Fire A flaming chalice, ashes

Air Wind chime

And where now we have an expanse of stone,we could create a Meditation Garden.

How to do it?

Phase 1 – heavy construction-install frame of columbarium-build retaining wall in corner - plant small tree

Phase 2 – lighter construction- Put in walk way and stepping stones - Plant grass- Build benches- Put more containers in the columbarium

Phase 3 – finishing touches- Rain chain, sculpture, more plants, wind chime- Add more containers to columbariumPhase 4 – sell more spaces in columbarium

What’s it cost?Phase Garden Columbarium Totals

1 $1000 $4000 $50002 $6000 $1000 $70003 $1000 $5000 $60004 --- $5000 $5000

Totals $8000 $15000 $23000

How do we pay for it?

Funding the Meditation Garden

• Donations• Fundraisers• People can contribute Memorial benches and

other items marked with a plaque with “In Memory of...”

• Sell spaces in the columbarium– 90 spaces at $400 each is $36000.

How do we get started?• Congregation votes to approve the plan• Finance Committee– Create a Special Project line item for the Meditation Garden– Establish a fund to hold money for prepaid spaces in the

crematorium • Board of Directors– Establish a Crematorium Committee to sell spaces and look

after the Crematorium money and contracts– Establish a Meditation Garden Task Force, which would raise

funds for Phase 1 and then start work. Then raise money for Phase 2 and build, etc.

UUCBG Meditation Garden