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Our Grave Care & Maintenance
By Daniel Applegate, President
Posted: June 2, 2009
It's an absolute truism that there is little that we, or any other cemetery for that matter, can do that is more important then to properly maintain the graves of those who have been entrusted to our care in a dignified and respectful manner. To say that we are cognizant of that sacred responsibility and obligation is a vast understatement.
Therefore, returning a new burial site to a condition that provides peace and comfort to visitors of a decedent is one of our primary imperatives here at Arlington. To that end, in the past we relied heavily on a process whereby we seeded new sites and covered them with straw or other materials that promoted germination. However, in recent years, we have noticed that our efforts based on this process have become increasingly less effective, due in large part to the warmer and dryer summers.
While in some cases we continue to seed certain areas, for the past two years, we have largely converted our efforts from seeding new sites to sodding them. The benefits of doing so are really self-evident: the sod generally takes root quickly and provides a finished environment that is generally more comforting for visitors. This year, we installed sod on new burial sites right up to May 20th. While this is somewhat late in the season for sod installation, Bob Hunter, Senior Vice President and Manager of Grounds & Operations, believed that the conditions this spring were conducive to those efforts.
However, the reality is that with the onset of summer and its heat, it will be necessary for us to discontinue installing sod until the conditions are again conducive, most likely beginning in September. Until that time, our Grounds Team will temporarily finish new grave sites by bringing the grave up to grade (grass level) with topsoil. A white service "flag" (like the one shown below) will denote that the grave is scheduled for additional care in the autumn.
We understand that each family or visitor of a decedent would prefer to visit a "finished" grave site; however, during the heat of the summer, it is almost impossible to return a site to a pristine condition. We hope that providing this information in a forthright manner will help our visitors understand and recognize the restrictions of nature and therefore forestall dissatisfaction.
As always, I invite questions, comments or even suggestions.
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