MultiHub Forum

I've been tasked with creating a small, permanent memorial garden in a neglected corner of our community cemetery, specifically for infants and young children from our parish, with a very modest budget of about $800. The space is only about 10x15 feet, on a slight slope with very compacted, poor-quality clay soil that drains poorly. I need to select a handful of extremely hardy, low-maintenance perennial plants and a small, simple central feature that can withstand harsh winters and hot summers in Zone 5b, with the additional constraint that everything must be in place and dedicated in just under six weeks. I'm struggling to find a balance between creating a sense of gentle beauty and peace while ensuring the plant choices won't fail and become a depressing eyescape, given the terrible soil and tight timeline.

Build a compact raised bed around a central memorial, with a drainage layer atop the clay. Cedar edging, fabric, gravel subdrain, then 3–4 inches soil and mulch. Plant 4–5 hardy Zone 5b perennials: hellebores, heuchera, echinacea, sedum, native grasses; add a small evergreen for winter structure. Budget ~$800; six-week install.