What to do with deceased ashes?

Question

A strange one here. My mum wants to put my stepdads ashes on the garden but has been told that they are mostly made up from wood plus the varnish and would harm the garden. Is this true? Does anyone have any 'sensible' answers please

Answer 1

Any varnish would have been burnt off during cremation so all you have is bone and wood ash and any metal handles etc that were on the coffin (Though I suspect these are sifted out) Either way none of these materials will do any harm to your garden. They will simply decay away and be absorbed into the garden eco system after a while. Bone meal is used as a fertilizer and I often mix wood ash from bonfires into my compost or spread it around the garden. To be on the ultra safe side don't sprinkle them near any prize roses but try some other hidden away place.

Answer 2

Hello,
I'm sorry for your loss of your stepfather. You and your family have my sympathy. Ashes from a cremation are all basically organic matter, so distributing them among your garden should not harm any of the plants or soil. Since most plants are made of wood (whether soft or hard), any wood fragments should not be harmful. The varnish you mention I assume was on the casket or urn. Most of that should have burned away in the cremation process, or at least should have been reduced to basic chemicals. Such a small amount of this material, if spread over a large enough area, should not cause any harm or damage.
If you have questions, perhaps the best people to ask would be a local plant nursery, who should know whether there would be any problem dispersing the remains as your mother suggests. You could also check with the crematory or funeral home where the casket was purchased and ask them their opinion. I hope these suggestions help, and I wish you and your mom the best.

Answer 3

The ashes of your father would not harm the garden. His ashes could not be made up of wood and varnish unless he was perhaps a scarecrow, or a wooden statue shaped like a person. Crematoriums use gas fires, so no wood from there either.

Answer 4

Not sure all what would be contained in the ashes but when my mon passed away we had her cremated and were told that there were strict environmental laws about the disposal. Now there is no one really that is watching for this type of thing but it is considered an environmental concern and that certain things that could still be in the ashes could get into the water system if you just dump the ashes in the yard. We actually ended up purchacing a water tight vault that was then burried in the same location with my dad.
Best of Luck

Answer 5

The wood ash is no problem, it makes a good fertilizer. The varnish will have totally burned off, again no problem. The "remains" will be mostly bone, which is calcium, again no problem. The calcium will take quite awhile to break down unless it has been finely ground. I will assume that being placed in the garden was your step dad's request. Hope this helps...

Answer 6

i am no expert here but if wood has been burned doesnt it turn in to ash. Also, wont the heat frm the flames take all chemicals out of the varnish. Like i say im no expert but when you set fire to an alcoholic beverage it burns the alcohol out so i think this might work the same way. Sorry i cant be more help.

Answer 7

I'm a little confused here about the varnish part , but there are ways to get around that, if you are burying the Urn just use one of those plastic storage boxes it would be fine. Or you can sprinkle the ashes around a new planted tree or a new rose bush.

Answer 8

I know a woman whose father loved racing motorcycles - so she scattered his ashes over the finish lin at a race. In the garden, there are plenty on things you could do. You could put them in a container that is sealed and plant one of his favorite plants or floewers over him. Or get a ceramic statue of something he'd like, fill it with the ashes and stand it in the garden. Get a birdhouse and nail a false bottom witn the ashes in it to the birdhouse.

Answer 9

Was your step dad Pinocchio? I'm sorry, but I don't quite get the question... I'm getting that he was cremated in a coffin or something... When my mom was cremated it was just her and Mustardseed, her favorite stuffed animal. They could hardly fill a coffee can. Anyhoo, I think that you are attempting to dedicate a certain essence of symbolism to the final placement of his remains. Try spreading them around, if meaningfulness is what you are searching for. Where were some of his favorite (hopefully, outdoor) places? Perhaps place a pinch in his favorite smoking pipe, if he had one and make a little alter or something. My mom went out to sea, as did the ashes of a prior roommate of mine, although I did spread a bit of him throughout my vegetable garden; carbon makes a fine additive and he possessed fine character as well. In the end you must, I suppose, ask yourself what is more important to you, having a bit of ol' dad sticking around, or it being a good year for yer Busy Lizzies?

Answer 10

We had this difficulty with my brother and my Dad's ashes. We investigated having them put into a rocket (firework) but in the end decided to scatter them in a small stream in Wales. I cannot see you having any difficulty putting them on your garden. I would just advise that they are very grey and would stand out clearly and that may be upsetting to you. I would suggest you bury them and then put a plant on top.