Cremation Gardens and Scattering Gardens
Reviewed by Everendium Editorial Team · Last reviewed August 18, 2026
Quick answer
A cremation garden is a cemetery area specifically designed for burying urns, often with shared landscaping and a group memorial marker. A scattering garden is a designated area where ashes can be scattered directly into the ground, typically without individual markers, sometimes with a shared memorial plaque listing names.
For families who’ve chosen cremation, many cemeteries offer dedicated garden spaces as an alternative to a columbarium niche or scattering elsewhere.
Cremation gardens
A cremation garden is a landscaped cemetery area specifically designed for burying urns, often at a lower cost and smaller footprint than a full burial plot. Individual urn burials within a cremation garden are frequently still marked with a small individual marker, combining the intimacy of a specific spot with the lower cost of cremation.
Scattering gardens
A scattering garden is a designated area where ashes are scattered directly into the ground rather than buried in a container. Because scattered ashes blend into a shared space, individual spots typically aren’t marked — instead, many cemeteries offer a shared memorial plaque or wall where a name can be added for remembrance.
Cremation Garden
- ✓Urns buried in the ground
- ✓Often individually marked
- ✓Smaller footprint, lower cost
Scattering Garden
- ✓Ashes scattered directly
- ✓Usually not individually marked
- ✓Often a shared memorial plaque
A cremation garden suits families who want a specific visitable spot.
Choosing between them
If having a specific, visitable spot matters to your family, a cremation garden with an individual marker may be a better fit than a scattering garden. If the specific location matters less than the act of returning ashes to a peaceful, tended place, a scattering garden may be a meaningful and typically lower-cost option.
Availability, cost, and specific practices vary by cemetery — ask directly about what a specific cemetery offers.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an individual marker in a scattering garden?+
Usually not for each individual scattering — many scattering gardens instead offer a shared memorial plaque or wall where a name can be added, since ashes scattered directly into the ground aren't tied to a specific individual plot.
Can family visit a specific spot in a scattering garden?+
Not typically in the way you'd visit an individual grave, since scattering blends into a shared area rather than a marked individual location — this is worth considering if having a specific visitable spot matters to your family.
Is a cremation garden less expensive than a standard burial plot?+
Often yes, since it requires less individual space than a full casket burial plot, though pricing varies by cemetery.
Can more than one person's ashes go in the same cremation garden?+
Yes — cremation gardens are specifically designed to hold many individual urn burials within a shared, landscaped area, each often still with its own small marker.
Sources
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