Upfront, I don't no nuthin' about such gardens per se. But I do know something about charities and donations-- Sounds like what you could bring to the table is a design and vision--the more you've got it actually sketched out, phase 1, phase 2, etc, according to practicalities, site development, the better. Then what you do is recruit people to donate toward this vision--here's a JM going in over here, there's a bench (with plaque!) going in over there; would one of these be something you'd like to do in memory of your loved one? I take a lesson from laag The Great on this forum (kind of just ribbing there), but he's been so helpful. The more order and strong design you can get into place with the hardscape and larger plantings, you can then tolerate more randomness in, in front of, and around that. Also, you can, and should, even PLAN for randomness- 'cause you can expect it--so you could figure out what areas and what sorts of plants lend themselves to smaller and more idiosyncratic memorials. Think of building or remodeling a church (well, the typical modern-era church)--people don't just bring in stuff from home or that they've gone out to buy or everyone bring his own pew and book. Some folks donate toward the organ, the church ladies's auxilliary funds the new kitchen appliances, the pews may be dedicated to loved ones, folks buy hymnals and a dedication is placed inside. But it's all part of a plan. It's aslo kind of like getting listed with a store for a wedding or baby shower--you're giving some guidance for things needed, with some big-ticket items, but very important to include lots of smaller-ticket items (so really, a good "range"), and also expect some folks to show up with stuff you never imagined. Another aspect might be maintenance. You know how different organizations take on a section of road? Will it be likely or possible that a person or group would volunteer to spruce up or maintain an area? A final aspect is the difference between "memorial" and general public garden. Memorial in terms of plantings implies to me some kind of pemanence (the bench, the oak, the JM, for example). So that could be the kind of randomness to avoid, or you'll have random trees and shrubs competing with each other. But also, cash donations are memorials, just like to a charity, so you'd like to encourage non-itemized donations. So the other aspect to the overall garden is the ephemeral aspect, with seasonal plantings and displays, which will be suitable for a lot of donors who realize that garden plantings come and go (e.g., people subsidize theater, symphony performances that are not "permanent" things). And really, no one has to die (for the garden!)-you will be encouraging living "in honor of" donations as a counter to the need to buy things for people. This approach is very popular with older people who have finally figured out we all have too much stuff.

For the public herb garden we made rectangular bronze labels cut out of a sheet of bronze with a band saw. We taped the edges with masking tape to form a border and used stick on letters to mask where the name's letters went. Then the labels were dipped in a ferric chloride bath until enough was eaten away so the letter and edges were raised above the background. The label were then neutralized with baking soda and copious amounts of water and the masking tape and letters were removed. Finally holes were drilled in the four corners of the border. Since the herb garden beds were outlined with railroad ties around the outer edges and landscaping timbers around the paths, the labels could be nailed into these wooden edges of the beds. Very classic and very work intensive. We didn't move the plants much and with practice I became very good at prying the labels off with a screw driver and a dandelion digger on the rare occasions they needed to be moved. On the other end of the spectrum, I have made labels out of strips of used gallon milk jugs with the letters punched with a paper punch. The labels were attached to the plants by making a slit in one end of the label, curling the label around a plant stem and inserting the other end in the slit. Cath

Congratulations Pam. I remember seeing the slide show of your garden on Carolyn's website, back in 2007 when it was first posted. It was a great pleasure to wander vicariously in your garden once again by viewing the photos again. I can only imagine what it would be like to be there at peak bloom in the flesh. Your garden is extraordinary and lovely. So your house isn't very clean? Who needs a spotless house when your world is a spectacular rose garden in the California hills. Congratulations also on having some of your roses made available to others through Vintage Gardens. Rosalia looks like a very beautiful rose. I am always jealous of all you American Rosarians who have that fabulous nursery to provide you with treasures I can only dream of. I've thought of ordering some Brownells and rare Austin's from Vintage on numerous occasions, but I have ordered from US nurseries in the past and shipping rose bands across the border has caused me much grief and many dead plants due to delays. Perhaps one day I will have to make the trip. Cheers, RRL

For those of you interested in the materials used, manufacture location, etc. for the Novaform (by Sleep Innovations) memory foam & gel-memory foam mattresses, check out this FAQ link. Boy was I glad to find out that the first mattress my husband and I purchased (2 years ago) as newly-weds, the gel memory foam, is free of PDBF/Formaldehyde and it is made in the USA. The reason we purchased this mattress was because it helps alleviate pressure-points which was crucial for us to have considering that my husband had recently underwent back surgery. In the two years we have had this mattress, he is still pleased with this purchase; and needless to say, so am I. I understand that comfort is a personalized type of thing, and being that I myself prefer a "in-between/medium" support (not too hard, not too soft), this was a great buy. We live at an altitude of about 5K, so in the 2 years we've had this mattress, the gel portion of the mattress is a bit more stiff when not in use during the winter, then eventually softens up with the applied body-heat; and during the passer-by summers, it is continually soft. Just a heads up! ;-) http://www.sleepinnovations.com/support/faqs/#1