The skilful planting of graves in autumn is based on a creative combination of magnificent autumn flowers and decorative, winter-hardy perennials that maintain a well-groomed appearance even in frost and snow. A successful arrangement of grave plants with tradition and emotional symbolism is supported, rounded off with native plants that demonstrate a bond with one's homeland. The following selection of creative ideas for all locations and grave types may serve as your inspiration for a dignified design of the resting place.
Observe cemetery regulations
Cemetery regulations establish rules for grave planting
Cemetery regulations set out the general framework for every cemetery. Here you can read basic guidelines such as opening hours, burial regulations and behavior on the cemetery grounds. Also contained in the set of rules are more or less specific regulations regarding the design of single grave, urn grave and double grave.
Because the establishment of cemetery charters is the responsibility of the local council or city government, ordinances can vary significantly from place to place. It may be forbidden to plant trees or integrate decorative gravel into the grave design. It is also not uncommon for fencing of any kind to be prohibited.
Where things are particularly strict, even the size of the vessels or the height of small mounds are prescribed. We therefore recommend reading the cemetery regulations before planning to plant graves for the fall, in order to avoid conflicts with the administration.
planting time
Best planting time is in September
When the mild autumn sun envelops the grave with its golden light, this is the best time to realize your autumn planting ideas. In September, the soil has stored the sun's heat from the summer, so that the selected grave plants take root quickly. Flowers and ground cover have established themselves in the soil in good time before the high holidays of All Saints' Day and Dead Sunday in November and present themselves in all their splendour.
Sunny locations
If a grave is in a sunny location, this poses a particular challenge when it comes to choosing plants. Here, the sun's rays are not softened by trees or a wall. When planning, it should also be considered that the sun can also develop a high intensity in autumn and winter. The following selection offers you the best perennials and flowers for a resting place in a sunny location.
Pillow Aster (Aster dumosus)
The sunnier the location, the more colorful the classic autumn bloomer is from September to October. The dense blossoms in enchanting shades of pink are decoratively accentuated by pretty decorative leaves, even if the blossoms have long since withered. Thanks to a growth height of 35 to 40 cm, the cushion aster is predestined for the small-scale urn grave.
- beautiful varieties: 'snow pillow' (white flowers) and 'Starlight' (purple)
Autumn chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum)
The colorful chrysanthemums are one of the traditional flowers for the autumn grave planting. With a growth height of 60 to 70 cm, they set impressive accents on the double and single grave. Its heyday extends from October to November, so that the resting place presents a pleasing appearance to the cemetery visitors on All Saints' Day and Sunday of the Dead. Together with the previously flowering cushion asters, an uninterrupted display of flowers is guaranteed from September to the beginning of winter.
- beautiful varieties: 'Golden Orfe' (yellow-filled) and 'Dernier Soleil' (orange with yellow heart)
Stonecrop (Sedum)
The multifaceted family of sedums convinces with a striking silhouette and modest care requirements. Ornamental succulents have rightfully earned a spot on the roadmap for best fall grave planting. Characteristic of all Sedum plants are a breathtaking abundance of flowers, reliable stability, lush foliage and umbrella-shaped seed heads throughout the winter.
Stonecrop, Sedum
- beautiful varieties: 'Autumn Joy' (rust-red flowers) and 'mediovariegated' (pink flowers and colorful autumn colors)
Winter heather (Erica darleyensis)
Thanks to the winter heather, you don't have to do without graceful splashes of color in the grave planting during the dark season. The creamy white or pink bud bloomers will not let you down even if the grave is in a sunny, nutrient-poor location with calcareous soil.
With a growth height of 30 to 40 cm, the grateful erica plants integrate harmoniously into any creative planting plan. Thanks to a never-ending flowering period from November to April, the winter heath decoratively bridges the transition from the end of winter to spring.
- beautiful varieties: 'White Perfection' (pure white bud flowers) and 'Isabelle' (delicate pink flowers)
Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
An excellent solution for a sun-tolerant ground cover as a shapely grave border is the cranberry, a close relative of the cranberry. With a growth height of 10 to 20 cm and a robust cut tolerance, the decorative fruit tree frames every grave without requiring extensive care. After a summer flowering period, the bright red berries are enthroned above evergreen foliage in autumn and winter.
- beautiful varieties: 'Red Stars' (pink flowers and red berries) and 'pilgrim' (white-pink flowers and black-red berries)
Stonecrop, Sedum
Gold Ivy (Hedera helix 'Goldheart')
A top-class ground cover with a sunny disposition unfolds a magnificent dress of leaves that does not necessarily require other grave plants. Gold ivy is the ideal problem solver for relatives with little time to care for the grave.
The evergreen ornamental leaves are creamy yellow on the inside with a green edge. The sunnier the location, the clearer the color contrasts. Combined with small conifers or shrubs, nobody will miss blooming, care-intensive grave plants thanks to the colorfulness of golden ivy.
Partially shaded locations
If the morning or evening sun falls on the grave while it is in light shade for the rest of the day, this location is defined as partially shaded. This may be a location on the west or east side of the cemetery wall, or in close proximity to a hedge planted in a north-south direction. Grave plants that tolerate brief blazing sun and dry soil feel at home in a partially shaded location. In the following, we will present recommended plant species for a grave in semi-shade in more detail.
Autumn cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium)
If you are looking for a flowering and perennial grave plant, you cannot ignore the ivy-leaved cyclamen. From August to October, the opulent flowers bring comfort to the bereaved. As a result, the cyclamen loses none of its attractiveness, because the triangular, variegated leaves adorn the grave throughout the winter.
The low growth height of 10 to 15 cm recommends the robust perennial for all types of graves. In the small group, the little beauty adorns the urn and single grave. Arranged over a large area, it also takes on the function of a ground-covering flower and decorative leaf plant on the double grave.
- beautiful varieties: ,Album' (white flowers and silvery-white foliage) and 'Ivy Ice Light Rose' (pink flowers and white-spotted foliage)
Pansies (Viola)
A robust, hardy constitution is hidden behind its graceful silhouette and motley abundance of flowers. In autumn, pansies banish dreariness from graves in semi-shady and sunny locations. The more than 400 species offer a wealth of inspiration for dignified and varied grave planting.
Pansies are the first choice to embellish the urn grave in autumn with an imaginatively planted bowl. If winter comes with hard frost, the 10 to 20 cm small Viola species only retreat temporarily. Right at the beginning of spring, the distinctive flowers appear as if by magic to greet the first warming rays of the sun.
Pansies, Viola
- beautiful varieties: 'Rebecca' (cream-white and pink flowers) and 'tricolor' (violet, blue and yellow flowers)
Meadow cranesbill (Geranium pratense)
If you value native species when planting your grave, the meadow cranesbill will meet your expectations. With its romantic splendor of flowers, the wild perennial spreads an atmosphere of close ties with home. Over the years, the geranium forms a dense, floriferous clump that rarely requires horticultural attention.
It is advantageous to cut back after the first blossoming in order to conjure up an autumnal second bloom. If you plant the meadow cranesbill in September, it will adorn the burial site with its natural charm as early as next summer.
- beautiful varieties: 'Summer Skies' (double, lilac-white flowers) and 'Johnson's Blue' (bright blue flowers)
Silver ragweed (Stipa calamagrostis)
If you are looking for an attractive interplay between flowering grave plants and filigree ornamental grass, you are well advised to use the silver ryegrass. This grass species has all the attributes desirable for a skillful grave planter. At 50 to 80 cm, the growth height remains within acceptable limits. Furthermore, the feathery flower clusters boast from July to the end of October for what feels like an eternity.
During this persistent flowering period, young spikes will sprout in silvery white to contrast with the older, darker blooms. Planted in a 5 liter pot, the silver ragweed serves as a solitary eye-catcher on the stone slab of an urn grave or on a single grave covered with decorative gravel.
- only varieties: 'Algaeu' as one of the longest flowering ornamental grasses
Pansies, Viola
Grape Myrtle (Leucothoe 'Scarletta')
For a colorful grave planter, keep an eye out for floral innovation, grape myrtle takes center stage. The pretty dwarf shrub with its evergreen foliage leaves no room for boredom. By the end of summer, the leaves are fresh green, taking on a reddish-bronze hue as October and November progress.
Throughout the winter, the hue intensifies to a furious scarlet red. The growth height remains at 20, maximum 30 cm. Grape heather thus offers a wide range of application scenarios from solitary to representative grave borders.
- so far only variety: 'Scarletta' with white spring flowers
Low fat man (Pachysandra terminalis)
In order to green a small resting place reliably and easily, the fat man deserves your attention. In a semi-shady location, the compact, hardy perennial is useful as an evergreen underplanting or as a ground-covering mat. If the soil has sufficient nutrients and a little moisture, the fat man can go for months without care, as long as a little rain falls from time to time. The extent to which you carry out a shape cut is left to your individual decision.
- only variety: 'compacta' with graceful blooms in April and May
Shady locations
Getting creative with a resting place in full shade is less tricky than it might first appear. A large number of magnificent perennials and groundcovers allow an attractive grave planting even there, where the sun's rays rarely or never reach.
A shady location is created in the cemetery, both under deciduous trees and evergreen shrubs and on the north side of walls. You can find out here which plant species thrive under these limited lighting conditions.
Elf Flower (Epimedium grandiflorum)
The elf flower provides convincing proof that you do not have to do without flowering grave plants in the shady location. The filigree beauties trump with orchid-like flowers in a variety of colors that are not impressed by a lack of light. To complete the floral feat from April, they are included in the autumn grave planting plan, although they give way to other perennials throughout the winter.
- beautiful varieties: 'fairy queen' (white flowers over brownish foliage) and 'purple fairy' (purple flowers with white tips)
Christmas rose (Helleborus niger)
With its soft green tones and shimmering white blossoms, the Christmas rose spreads an atmosphere of devotion and peace in cool, shady locations. Since time immemorial, the color white has symbolized deep-seated mourning, which makes Helleborus niger a thoughtful grave plant.
In order for the hardy perennial to provide hope-giving flowers in late winter, it is one of the most important components of competent grave planting in autumn. In view of their dainty growth height of 10 to 15 cm, Christmas roses are among the most popular grave plants for bowls and tubs.
Christmas rose, Helleborus niger
- beautiful varieties: 'Praecox' (white cup flowers) and 'Christmas Carol' (white flowers with yellow center)
Wood rush (Luzula sylvatica)
The ornamental grass forest grove provides green rays of hope on a shady grave. The grass only unfolds its full beauty from November, when the weather is getting colder and colder. Then the previously fresh-green stalks take on a golden-yellow color with an impressive long-distance effect. With a growth height of 20 to 40 cm, this shade-tolerant grass is the perfect size for grave planting.
- beautiful varieties: 'Solar Flair' with straw-colored flowers in April and May
Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)
In all light-poor locations, the hour of the ornamental leaf plants has come. This applies not only to the garden, but even more so to shady graves. We would therefore like to particularly recommend the spotted deadnettle for your autumn planting plan. The tiny little flowers play a rather secondary role in the optics.
It is the imposing, oval, finely hairy decorative leaves that give a grave an individual appearance. The decorative value is based on the harmonious shape with a sawn edge and a silvery-white color scheme with a green border.
- beautiful varieties: 'Beacon Silver' (pink flowers) and 'Red Nancy' (dark red flowers)
Christmas rose, Helleborus niger
Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
Are you struggling on a grave site with a high workload due to stubborn weeds? Then you will find the ideal problem solver here. Evergreen anchors itself firmly in the ground and develops into a green carpet that doesn't give cunning weeds a chance.
Planted in autumn with a density of 16 plants per square meter, the worries about a well-kept grave are forgotten within a year. If you don't want to do without a splash of color completely, place flower bulbs between the perennials. Tulips, daffodils and similar flowers have sufficient vigor to pierce the dense foliage in spring.
- beautiful varieties: 'Green Carpet' (bright violet flowers) and 'bowle' (dark blue flowers)