Victoria County Master         Gardener Association

John Fossati of Four Seasons Garden Center, designer and landscaper of the park, fulfilled the master plan with plant selections that all have white blooms throughout the seasons. The selections are low maintenance, perennial dark green and deep red-leaved foliage planted within beds that lay inset in 96 palettes of grass.

Symbolic structures

Elements of three are evident throughout the park in garden structures and plantings.

• Flag pole area

Notably representing country, state and family, three large, lit flag poles are situated as a backdrop to the park. They boast the United States, Texas and Memory Meadows flags symbolizing the bond between the three. Planted in a half cylindrical pattern around the flag poles are D.D. Blanchard magnolia trees that are narrow and will become tall in time. They bloom a large white flower and have a russet under-leaf color. Six Savannah hollies, three on each side of the flag poles, are deep green perennials that produce white blooms and currently red seasonal berries.

The two beds encircling the bases of the poles are planted with a low-growing, prostrate mix of Clara Snow White Indian Hawthornes, new dwarf Obsession nandinas that have a deep red, almost maroon leaf color, along with the newly popular Snow-N-Summer jasmine that has white mixed with pink foliage.

• Garden structure beds

Three shiny, black columbariums in which pet cremains are to be placed are highlighted with visibly prominent arbors over them.

Cold-hardy plants like those around the flagpoles are repeated in beds throughout the park totaling 94 Hawthorne, 52 nandina and 104 jasmine plants grouped in beds surrounding the arbors that cover the columbariums at the park entrance and around the center pavilion. The deep green, white-blooming Hawthornes totally surround the strategically-placed monument etched with "Epitaph to a Dog."

On each arbor covering the columbariums, there is star (Confederate) jasmine planted and already climbing to eventually provide a fragrant, sweet-smelling canopy over the columbariums. There are 20 of these vines planted that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds all summer long with their white blooms.

There is a fourth arbor with a porous three-bubble water feature boulder resembling a natural spring that continuously ebbs water for a natural-growing green moss that will flourish indefinitely.

• Four corner beds

In each of the four corners are one tall Italian cypress tree with a group of three Flirt nandinas at square 90-degree angles to each other on each side. With four corners to the park, there are 24 of these nandinas in eight groups of three.

• Other trees

There are a group of three Chinese fringe trees with another two on the other side of the entrance walkway that will produce solid white cloud puffs. These small, deciduous ornamentals will be in bloom around Valentine's Day into early spring.

Strategically placed are four groups of three white, summer-blooming Natchez crepe myrtles that will someday aim to rise to reach the flags in the sky.

• Wildflower meadow

To the rear of the park is natural terrain that remains untouched other than having been planted in wildflower seeds for spring color. A Texas native flower mix has been broadcast in the landscaped plan and was enhanced by nearly 200 attendees sowing their own packet of seeds at the conclusion of the dedication ceremony Thanksgiving week. Until such time that there is a need to expand the park, the back almost-acre of land will be covered in bright blooming flowers commemorating the memories associated with a loving pet.

• Perimeter designs

The design includes comfortable walking paths of cement rather than uneven stone or crushed pebbles. This is to facilitate walking around the park with family, children, and perhaps, leashed pets in mindful reflection on a previous pet family member. The goal was for families to be able to visit the final resting place of a pet (dog, cat, bird, rabbit, horse or other cremated animal) at their leisure with ease.

Outlining the park inside 630 feet of fence line are 25 oak trees that in time will encircle the pet memorial park. There are also 44 hardy white oleander bushes that when mature will help provide more tranquil privacy along the fence line between the park and the adoption facility next door.

With a year-and-a-half of planning, design and construction, John Fossati comments that he loved every minute and inch of the project. He will proudly continue to maintain the Memory Meadows Pet Memorial Park into the future.

The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com.