‘Living Memorials’ at Home
There is a major national trend in the United States - more people are choosing cremation over burial for themselves and their family members. According to the National Funeral Directors’ Association, nearly 80 percent of Americans will choose cremation by 2040, up from just 25 percent in 1999. This major shift is due to many factors including affordability, cultural changes, mobility of families, generational changes, and convenience.
Historically, the choices for memorializing a family member who opted for cremation have been limited. Many families would simply choose a standard metal or wooden urn to hold the ashes and place the urn in the home on the mantle or table. For many, this can feel a bit depressing rather than provide a sense of celebration and commemoration for our loved ones.
Fortunately, there are now new cremation urn options available for families that can be more uplifting, personal and meaningful compared with traditional cremation urns. One such option is The Living Urn, which is a special biodegradable urn and planting system that allows families to grow a beautiful and enduring memory tree to honor a loved one and give back. Over the past several years, The Living Urn has become a very popular option for families all over the world. While some families will plant The Living Urn on their property, others will get permission to plant at a park, church, cemetery, golf course, or other special place. Alternatively, if a family doesn’t have a special place to plant outside, they can choose The Living Urn Indoors / Patio. This special planter urn is one of the newer ‘green’ options for a living memorial to honor a loved one.
Introducing: The Living Urn Indoors / Patio
The Living Urn Indoors / Patio is a unique premium ceramic urn that comes in three appealing color options - white, blue, or beige. This special urn utilizes a patented growing process and keeps a majority of the ashes separate from the growing area. With The Living Urn Indoors / Patio you can grow a bonsai tree, houseplant, or place fresh cut flowers in the center and enjoy a beautiful living memorial year-round!
Below we highlight some of the plant options available for families interested in The Living urn Indoors / Patio.
Bonsai Trees
Bonsai trees symbolize peace, harmony, balance, and all that is good in nature. They are aesthetically beautiful and a wonderful addition to any home. The Living Urn offers multiple easy-to-grow bonsai tree options with its indoor/patio urn, including the Ficus Retusa, Braided Money, Hawaiian Umbrella, Traditional Windswept Juniper, and Trained Tiered Juniper Tree. These special bonsai trees can either be placed in the home near a window or on a patio (depending on the type of bonsai selected and your local climate).
Growing a bonsai tree can be a very rewarding experience. They are relatively easy to grow with regular watering and sunlight. The process of regular trimming and tending to the beauty of your memorial bonsai tree will connect one even deeper with the loving memory of your family member.
Houseplants
Many people will elect to get a houseplant with their Living Urn Indoors / Patio. This can be a beautiful addition to any home and makes for a great decorative piece. There are many houseplant options that are easy to grow and require very minimal care. Popular houseplants include the Peace Lilly, Lucky Bamboo, Flamingo Flower, Sago Palm, Draceana, and Golden Pothos, among others. The Living Urn offers a selection of houseplants (subject to seasonality) to plant with its indoor urn, or you can simply order The Living Urn Indoors/Patio without a plant and visit your local nursery to pick one up and follow the simple instructions provided to plant with the urn!
Flowers
Another popular option is to place fresh cut flowers in a waterproof vase provided in the center of the urn, making it into a special and colorful flower urn. It’s a modern twist on the long-standing tradition of using flowers, placed on a loved one’s grave to commemorate important occasions (common with traditional in ground burials) or at the columbarium (cremation crypts at a cemetery). However, there have not been any funeral urns available to place fresh flowers until now - creating a living memorial for display in the home!
By placing cut flowers in the center of the urn, you can easily beautify your home and commemorate your loved one. The vase is about 9 inches deep, large enough so you can place a lovely bouquet inside the urn every couple of weeks. Within the next few months, The Living Urn will make it easier on families looking to place cut flowers in the urn by offering a new ‘floral subscription’ program. With this program, you will receive a fresh bouquet of flowers specially designed for your urn every 2 or 4 weeks for a low monthly subscription fee. These flowers will be delivered fresh and directly to your doorstep ready to place in the urn. The result will be a year-round display of brilliant color in the home to commemorate your loved one!
Additional Options
There are now many ways to remember our loved ones in the sanctity of our home. May you find the best way to honor your family members who have passed that brings you more meaning, comfort, and loving memories.
Select Your Urn & Wait to Plant
Many families who order The Living Urn Indoors/Patio will plant a bonsai tree or houseplant, while others will choose to use cut flowers at the time of ordering. However, many other families who just lost a loved one find it challenging or overwhelming to decide on the type of living memorial to plant. For these families, The Living Urn Indoors / Patio can be used as an urn to secure your loved one’s ashes inside. The urn comes with a special porcelain cover to place over the planting area and makes for a nice, finished look. You can then make a decision on the type of living memorial at a later time. When that decision is made, simply remove the cover and follow the instructions provided to plant in a beautiful living memorial in the center growing area of the urn!
Pet Version
In addition to providing the market leading indoor planter urn for people, The Living Urn also offers a version for pets! Now you can give your beloved four legged family members a beautiful memorial in the home with The Living Urn Indoors/Patio for Pets!