Pet Perennials

Pet Perennials is a memorial project to help you celebrate the life of your departed pet. Part art project, part gardening, it's a wonderfully touching concept. You can even include some of the ashes of your cremated pet if you choose.

I met the creator of Pet Perennials at SuperZoo 2016. Just a few days later, I lost my beloved Brisbane. Then I received a Pet Perennials kit in the mail. The timing was both tragic and wonderful.

What Is It?

Pet Perennials is a kit for making shaped wafers containing seeds for pet-friendly plants. These wafers can then be planted in a pot or garden, or left on a hiking trail or other favorite place.

The kit includes a clay-like base, a packet of seeds, a roller for flattening everything out, and little cookie cutters shaped like a heart and a paw. You mix the seeds and a spoonful of your pet's cremains if you wish, roll everything out, and then cut it into shapes.

Why?

When I first learned about this concept I admit I didn't really see the point. Planting flowers in memory of my dearly departed dog sounds nice, but why make a whole playdough project out of it? Isn't it kind of silly waste of time? I truly did not expect to feel any different after going through the motions. Still, I also didn't want to waste this gift. It was sitting on my shelf for months.

Ouch, My Heart

So finally I rolled out my growing base, and added the flower seeds (but not any ashes, can't bear to open the urn) and stamped out some little hearts and paws.

You know what? Something about doing this project for my dog, to honor his memory, made it incredibly meaningful. It's not a big project, it's not time-consuming or terribly messy, and it doesn't require any planning. Still, the act of kneading the clay and rolling it out required a certain amount of mindfulness devoted to remembering Brizzy.

Planting Something New

I made twelve little seed wafers. Four are going in a flower pot, and the rest I may plant at the sheep ranch, at the beach, or on hiking trails that Brisbane and I loved. It's a little like scattering ashes, but instead I'll be planting flowers, beautiful little memories.

Pet Perennials is such a neat way to remember and celebrate the life of a beloved pet. It's simple enough for children to do, and it provides a way to channel grief into the making of something new. Have you found another way to honor the memory of a pet that has passed on? Please share in the comments below.