Carrying On With Help From Nature
The hardest part of mourning isn’t the first week.
Or the first month.
Or even the first year.
The hardest part is getting out of bed… Every. Single. Day. After.
It’s the half pot of coffee that always goes to waste because you always brew enough for two, and you can’t bring yourself to just make enough for one. It’s the quietness that deafens you when you get home from work every day. There’s no hug waiting, no dinner unless you make it, no footsteps that pad softly down the hall after you’ve gone to bed. It’s an expansive emptiness that no amount of “I’m so sorry’s” and well-intentioned casseroles wrapped in tinfoil will ever fill.
When grief feels like an endless winter, planting a tree can be the first sign of spring.
It may seem like a simple gesture at first – a living memorial for someone you’ve lost – but time and again, people discover that nurturing a tree brings a kind of peace they didn’t expect.
At Seeds of Life, we’ve seen it countless times: the quiet comfort of digging a hole, the weight of the soil in your hands, the tender care of watering something new. As that small plant takes root, grief shifts, softens, and begins to breathe again.
Trees, in all their patient enduring beauty, are more than just plants. They are symbols of life, hope, and the healing power of growth, and that’s why we do what we do at Seeds of Life.
The Healing Power of Trees
Grief often leaves us feeling unmoored, untethered, and adrift in a liminal space. It’s an unmarked chapter, and turning the page doesn’t happen overnight. The loss of someone we love can make the world feel unfamiliar, as though the landmarks of our lives have shifted. Planting a tree gives us roots – something tangible to finally anchor to.
Caring for a tree or plant after loss offers us so much, like a sense of purpose. Watering, pruning and watching it grow gives us a small, daily ritual when everything else feels so chaotic. It’s comfort through predictability and the familiar.
The act of caring for a plant connects us back to life. Trees remind us that life continues moving forward as they cycle through their seasons and changes, standing tall through storms and sun alike. It’s loss and renewal you can touch and influence with your love and care.
Trees also serve as living tributes. Memorial plants of all kinds offer a legacy and a physical space where memories and emotions have roots. It’s a place where you can lay down your burdens and rest with nature. Even if it’s only for a minute, that peace can help get you through facing the day ahead.
Why Trees Speak to the Heart
Throughout history, trees have symbolized resilience, wisdom, and the enduring connection between earth and sky. Their roots reach deep into the Earth while their branches stretch toward the heavens. It’s a reminder that love, too, spans both worlds.
When we plant a tree in memory of someone, we’re saying “Your life matters. You are still part of my memory and this place. You are remembered in something living and beautiful.” This symbolism becomes deeply personal as each tree grows. It thrives through seasons of rain and drought, just as we learn to carry grief through seasons of sorrow and joy.
The Language of Memorial Plants
Each type of plant carries its own meaning. At Seeds of Life, we often see families choose specific trees or flowers not only for their beauty, but for the emotions and values they represent.
Southern Magnolia
With its glossy leaves and fragrant, creamy blooms, the Southern Magnolia stands for dignity, purity, and nobility. Its strength and year-round foliage remind us of love that remains true, pure, evergreen, and beautiful, even through loss.
Oak Tree
The oak is a symbol of strength and endurance. Known for its longevity, planting an oak honors a life well-lived and the legacy that continues on. It whispers of shelter, protection, and resilience through time.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily is often given in sympathy because it represents peace, hope, and rebirth. Its pristine white blooms bring light into dark seasons and offer comfort in moments of sorrow. While trees often need more space, the Peace Lily thrives indoors, allowing you to share its comfort even closer to home.
Roses
Long associated with love, roses carry layers of meaning. Red roses symbolize deep love, respect, and passion. White roses stand for innocence, reverence, and new beginnings. Pink roses reflect gratitude and admiration. Roses in a memorial garden create a place where both beauty and remembrance intertwine.
Gardenia
Gardenias, with their enchanting fragrance and delicate blooms, symbolize purity, peace, and sweetness. They carry a sense of gentleness, offering comfort when words feel too small.
How Plants Touch Hearts
When we plant a tree after loss, we are doing more than honoring a life – we are participating in life’s renewal. Watching leaves unfurl in spring or blooms open after winter is a quiet promise that sorrow will not always feel this heavy.
Grief may never fully leave us, but in the presence of growing things, it changes shape. Plants remind us that time softens edges, that beauty coexists with loss, and that love endures in ways we can see and touch.
Planting Hope, One Tree at a Time
Every tree planted in memory tells a story. It might be planted for a parent, a child, a friend, or a beloved pet. It might stand in a backyard, a community garden, or on a family farm. Wherever it grows, it carries the same message: this life mattered, and this love endures.
Generous, compassionate nature roots us, grounds us, and gives us something to nurture when our hearts feel empty. When we look back years later and see a strong, flourishing tree, we see hope standing where sorrow once lived.
Everyone has a story. What’s yours?