A Memorial Garden is a place where people can go to reflect on the lives of lost loved ones. These gardens often incorporate areas where people can be remembered, such as nameplates on a wall or bench. At Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Central, South Carolina people were interested in constructing a memorial garden to honor members of the church. The church was built in the early 1920's and is the third location. An addition is proposed behind the existing building. The congregation is composed of some 270 members with about 175 attending weekly. The garden will be built on site, and is to be maintained by members of the congregation.

The proposed memorial garden is located behind the future addition. The size and shape of the garden reflects of the size and shape of the addition. There are four entrances/exists from the garden along a horizontal and vertical axis. The plan for the garden can be divided into two phases, the interior of the memorial garden and the exterior, with a nature trail leading out from the south side of the garden through the wooded area. The majority of the plants are biblical in nature, or else are related to a biblical plant. The latter being because the chosen plants are better adapted to the site. For example, the zabel laural is used instead of the biblical laural because it is adapted to the zone 7. Much of the plant material is perennial to provide interest and an informal, natural feel.
Zabel laurels (Prunus laurocerasus 'Zabeliana") make up the "walls" of the garden, a plant material inspired by the biblical laural -- although it is not the biblical plant, it does have similar features, but has a more informal growth habit, which will blend in with the other plant material. The interior of the garden is divided into four quadrants; each contains similar plant material to provide unity. The majority of each quadrant is composed of rubeckia (Rudbeckia hirta 'Beauty Mix'), leucanthemum (Leucanthemum superbum 'Snow Cap'), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), salvia (Salvia splendens 'Flare'), and mazus blue (Mazus repens). Trees are incorporated into each section to give the garden an anchor and some shade. The trees selected were Japanese maples (Acer palmatum 'Blood Good'), figs (Ficus canica), and flowering crab apples (Malus x zurni). These are all biblical plants or close related species of biblical plants. Inside each of the quadrants is a bench which can be reached by stepping-stones. This provides an area where people can sit and relax while reflecting on the lives of loved ones. In the center of the garden stands a water feature with a sitting area surrounding it. People can be close to water, a calming source in itself, and also a possible stopping and meeting point. People from the church or from the offices next door could gather here for an informal chat or a lunch break.

The exterior of the memorial garden incorporates a variety of plant material for aesthetics. The north and south ends are anchored with wax myrtles (Myrica cerfera) pruned up to tree form. Underneath are winter daphne (Daphne odora) providing year-around interest as well as winter fragrance and flower. To the west is a perennial bed composed of many biblical plants, including hollyhocks (Alcea rosea), lilies (Lilium 'Versailles'), tulips (Tuplia x hybrida 'Bastogne'), daffodils (Narcissus x hybrida 'Rijveld's Early Sensation'), and poppies (Papaver orientale 'Perry's White'). Other plant materials provide season colors, and/or attract wildlife such as butterflies. Butterfly bushes (Buddleia daviddi 'Black Knight') anchor each corner. Calamagrostis (Calamagrostis acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'), an ornamental grass provides the backdrop of the perennial bed, giving interest well into the fall. Lower growing plants such as dianthus (Dianthus gratianopolitans 'Firewich'), platycodon (Platycodon graniflorus 'Fairy Snow'), and verbena (Verbena hybrida 'Tapien Powder Blue') make up the area close to the walk.

This plan was designed with the site and condition of the site in mind. All the plant material has been chosen to perform well in the zone of the site, which is zone 7. Sun and shade conditions where also taken into consideration in the design process. Once the plant material is established and mature, they should not require additional water or nutrients in normal years.

Providing a sense of place is an important aspect in a memorial garden. The people using the garden want to leave the thoughts of the exterior world behind for a few moments while they enjoy the peacefulness of the spaces. The benches in the quadrants of the garden give people a place to sit and meditate without the distraction of others. While in these spaces, people can feel as if they are in their own place.

The people of Mt. Zion Methodist Church desired a place where they could go and reflect on the lives of those they loved. This is provided by the memorial garden described above. Benches provide areas where people can sit and reflect, while flowers and trees can help transport people into a deeper mindset.