Sophie

Hello Ginelli - so sorry to hear of your loss - it is so hard when you lose a pet - and so hard to talk about it - the memory garden sounds such a lovely idea - I am sure she would have loved it - take care - Jane

So sorry to hear this Ginellie it is so hard when a beloved pet dies. I do think making a memory garden will help you at this difficult time. My suggestion would be a bench or some sort of seat where you can sit and remember the happy times you had together.

Lovely idea Drc, maybe with bulbs for the spring and scentd shrubs and hardy perennials fr later in the year

So sorry to hear of your loss and they are such a loss, aren't they?
There really are quite a de shrubs that will grow in shade , particulalry if it's dappled shade. I wonder what your soil is like.maybe acidic (?) as Hazels tend to like neutral to acid so I was wondering about rhododendron/azalea if not full shade.

How about a collection of different ferns, perhaps some of the pretty Japanese painted ones, with maybe a perennial geranium or two for colour and bulbs for spring? She would have liked lying underneath them.

So sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts are with you at this difficult time. Like you said, think of the happy times you had with Sophie.

The memorial garden is a lovely idea.

That is sad Ginellie - it's a very hard time. What a lovely, positive idea to plan a memory garden. Epimediums love shade (and are evergreen), as do perennial geraniums and several Heucheras . . . I hope you will enjoy making it.

Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and wonderful suggestions. I think there's enough room to accommodate them all and so I will, and hopefully next year there will be some pictures to share. Once again, many thanks.

A plaque with her name on, and dates of her life span
would be nice. They cost about £25. Keep clean in the
winter.

Another great idea, thank you Diane

Sorry to hear about Sophie. It's a very sad time for you.

Thank you Hywel. She was such a sweet natured dog and followed me everywhere. I think she deserves a special garden. I started to dig the area yesterday but of course at the moment it is rock hard so I've just turned over what I could and left it for the moment.

I think your idea of a special memory corner is lovely, Ginellie. I have always bought a special plant on sad occasions like this - a camellia, a rowan tree, etc. It does help. There are some plants with the name Sophie too which may be suitable for your planned area.