Cremation Gardens and Scattering Gardens

For families who’ve chosen cremation, many cemeteries offer dedicated garden spaces as an alternative to a columbarium niche or scattering elsewhere.

What is a cremation garden?

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.

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.

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.

What is a scattering garden?

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.

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.

A cremation garden suits families who want a specific visitable spot.

How do I choose 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.

If you’re considering human composting, see What happens to the soil after human composting?.

Availability, cost, and specific practices vary by cemetery — ask directly about what a specific cemetery offers.