As cooler weather approaches and families begin to anticipate the upcoming fall season, please be mindful of our decorating policies regarding holiday decorating. At this time of year, it is appropriate to have fall themed décor such as autumn leaves/flowers, small scarecrows, and faux-pumpkins, however holiday decorations for Halloween are not yet permitted. Please do not use Halloween decorations until we are within three days of the holiday, as per our decorating rules. Skeletons, skulls and fresh pumpkins are never allowed, nor are any items that produce noise. All decorations, whether seasonal or holiday, are required to abide by decorating and safety polices and are subject to removal.

Halloween decorations specifically must be placed with careful consideration, please be very cognizant of being within sacred grounds and limit Halloween decorations to small items such as artificial pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns. While Halloween is a holiday many children enjoy, most decorations would be inappropriate during a funeral service or within the somber nature of a cemetery. The Cemetery reserves the right to remove any decorations that violate the sacred nature of its grounds or fall outside the rules and regulations.

Please no fresh pumpkins in the cemetery. Fresh pumpkins will be taken up by staff immediately. While a quintessential fall item, they are very difficult to clean up when rotten or broken, potentially leaving an unsightly mess that funeral attendees are forced to navigate while in the cemetery.

Holiday specific decorations are allowed three days before through three days after the following holidays: Easter, Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving. This includes items on bases, monuments and in vases. Seasonal decorations are always welcome.

Thank you for your support in helping to keep Brookland Cemetery beautiful year-round.

Brookland Cemetery’s Spring Cleanup begins this Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

As you prepare to decorate for the upcoming season, please be mindful of Brookland’s decorating policies. Specifically pertinent in the springtime are planting rights:

• Families may plant annuals only, all perennials will be removed.
• Plants must be maintained (weeded and watered) throughout the growing season or they will be removed.
• Decorating rights, including any annuals planted, are for the 8” directly in front of the monument only. Decorations and/or plants may not be on either side of the monument or behind a monument. For families waiting for monument delivery, their decoration space is 8” above the grave.
• Only bark mulch is allowed and must be kept to the 8” directly in front of the monument. No other types of mulch (plastic, glass, etc) may be used.

Additionally, to maintain consistency and the beauty of the cemetery as well as ensuring upkeep and necessary maintenance, those families waiting for their monument delivery are asked to limit their decorations to 2-3 small items at the head of their loved one’s grave. Families are asked to be mindful of any tokens or decorations left by others that would cause them to exceed the 2-3 item limit. The cemetery, at its discretion and without notice, will remove any decorations which may create a safety hazard or cause additional maintenance burdens.