Holding A Green Funeral In The Winter

Losing a loved one in the Winter brings a set of weather-related complications. Travel can be dicey, and memorial events like a burial or ash scattering may need to be postponed. However, every season is an excellent time to take care of our precious environment. Here are a few tips for hosting a green winter funeral.

1. Ask guests to use a carbon offset program to cover the carbon footprint from traveling to the funeral.
2. Use real dishes, mugs, and cutlery; ask for dishwashing volunteers. Or, use compostable plates, cups, etc.
3. Have clearly marked receptacles for trash, recycling, and compost. Designate a volunteer to take the compost to the nearest composting center, such as at a garden center or alternative grocery store. 
4. Use soy or beeswax candles.
5. Print the program on recycled paper.
6. If you are serving food, choose organic and locally sourced options as much as possible. 
7. Instead of throwing flowers away, deconstruct the arrangements, recycle as much as possible, and put the flowers in a compost bin. 

Becoming A Tree When You Die….Even If It’s Cold Outside

If it’s too cold outside to plant a tree urn, the Living Urn offers an indoor tree urn. This lovely ceramic urn has separate compartments; one for your loved one’s ashes and the other for your tree. Large enough for a small indoor tree or a bonsai tree, this indoor urn comes in blue, white, and yellow. Its design also lets you use it like a vase with cut flowers. 

The Living Urn also offers several planter urns made from premium rescued California Sycamore and FSC Certified Black Walnut wood. Like the ceramic urn above, these planters securely hold cremation ashes and have a place for a small houseplant.

If you want to wait until warmer weather to plant your burial pod tree urn, the Living Urn can help you. Purchase just the Living Urn system and have it mailed to you now. Then, when the weather starts to warm up, you can purchase a tree from a local nursery to use with the burial pod. Or, you can buy the Living Urn system along with a tree voucher that you can use to select a tree from the Living Urn’s award-winning nursery when spring is close at hand. 

Fall Is a Great Time to Plant A Tree Urn (and Early Winter Can Be Too!)

Fall is a relative term depending on which state you live in. The classic fall months for planting trees are September, October, and November. Some southern states, such as Arizona, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and  South Carolina support successful tree planting as late as December or January, while colder, northern states like Vermont or Montana might be too cold by December. If the ground isn’t frozen, you can plant your burial pod or tree urn and expect it to grow successfully. Ideally, however, try to plant your memorial tree at least four weeks before the first freeze. 

Benefits of Fall or Early Winter Planting

Here are a few reasons fall is a great time to plant a tree. 

1. More Energy for Root Growth

Many trees drop their leaves in the fall. This allows trees to put the energy that would have gone into producing leaves into their root systems. Since trees go somewhat dormant in the winter, your memorial tree burial pod will have plenty of time to focus on growing its roots deep into the ground. With a robust root system, your tree will be ready to grow in the springtime.

2. Trees Require Less Water

When it’s hot outside, trees need a lot of water. When you plant a biodegradable tree urn in the fall, your memorial tree will automatically need less water than it would in the spring and summer. And, you have the added benefit of fall rain that lowers the amount of watering you’ll need to do. 

3. Increase Drought Tolerance

Trees planted with a biodegradable urn in the fall have more time to establish their root system before the stress of a hot summer hits. A tree planted in the spring or summer is thrust right into the hot season. A tree planted in the fall will have been growing its roots for 6-8 months, making it better prepared to tolerate a dry, hot summer. 

4. Easier to Plant

Fall weather is beautiful and makes you want to be outside. The cool, crisp air in the mornings and evenings and warmer afternoons make fall the perfect season to spend time outdoors doing some gardening. And fall tends to be dryer than spring, which makes the ground easier to dig up for your tree. Soggy soil is heavier, making the digging harder. 

5. Fewer Insects

Another benefit to fall planting is less insect life buzzing around. Many insects migrate away to warmer climates for the winter or go into hibernation. This means you’ll encounter less insect life while planting in the fall. Spring is when insects become more active, so if you want to avoid wasps and mosquitos, choose fall to plant your tree.