Decoration Schedules

and

  Maintenance & Safety Guidelines

Effective November 1, 2004

St. Mary Cemetery
110 North Street
Ridgefield, CT 06877

Parish Office 203-438-6539 x114
Cemetery Office 203-438-3606

 

Decorations for the Growing Season

(April 15^th through decorations on graves)

Please limit decorations on graves  

 Monument Sections  

• Plantings of flowers are permitted in front of monuments not to exceed the width of the monument and not to extend more than 10" in depth. 

• Potted plants, flower boxes and vases are also permitted in front of monuments, not to exceed 10" in depth. 

• All cemetery vases installed in the ground must be lowered after the growing season. 

Flush Marker Section  

• Live potted plants and flower boxes are permitted on top of flush markers only. 

• In-ground plantings around flush markers are not permitted and will be removed. 

• All wilted flowers will be removed by Cemetery personnel without notice. 

• The Cemetery will not be responsible for damage to cemetery vases left in an upright position after the Growing Season. 

• Artificial flowers will be removed periodically by Cemetery personnel. 

Mausoleums  

• Live potted plants and fresh flowers will be permitted in the mausoleums. 

• All landscaping designs for mausoleums must be submitted to and approved by Cemetery personnel prior to construction. 

 Year Round Guidelines  

• For safety reasons, no crushed stones will be allowed on any graves, in front of monuments or around flush markers.  Placing stones or brick in front of monuments or flush markers is not permitted, and these will be removed. 

• Decorations that become unsightly or withered will also be removed. 

• If you wish to save your decorations, please remove them within the period indicated. 

• We request that families refrain from placing jars, bottles, Styrofoam, crockery, statuary, cans or vigil lights on any grave.  Any other type of decoration we find objectionable or dangerous to our employees will be removed immediately. 

• Grave blankets or sprays will not be permitted and will be removed. 

• Palms and Easter flowers are permitted one week prior to Palm Sunday and may remain one week after Easter.  After this time, all Palms and Easter flowers will be removed.

Decorations for the Non-Growing Season

(Monday before Thanksgiving Day through March 1^st)

Please limit decorations on graves  

 Monument section  

• Christmas Wreaths may be a maximum of 24 inches and may either be placed in the 10" area in front of the monument or secured to the monument. 

• Artificial flowers or evergreen boughs in boxes or pots may be placed in the 10" area in front of the monument. 

Flush marker section  

• Artificial flowers and/or evergreen boughs in boxes or pots may be placed on top of flush markers. 

Mausoleums  

• Live potted plants and fresh flowers will be permitted in the mausoleums

Important Notice  

The period from March 1^st through March 15^th is traditionally used by the Cemetery to clean up the grounds for the coming spring.  All fall and winter decorations will be removed during this period.  If at all possible, we request that you refrain from placing any new decorations during this clean up period.  If you wish to save your decorations, please remove them before March 1^st.

General Provisions  

Hundreds of people visit the cemetery each year; many visit in a single day.  Because the Cemetery is open to the public, it is very difficult to control the activity of every visitor.  We regret that we cannot protect decorations from damage or theft. 

Please limit the amount of decorations on a grave at a time.  Quality, not quantity, makes beauty.  On monument lots, single decoration in front of the monument is preferable rather than on an individual grave. 

Please do not outline graves by stripping a border of sod around the grave.  Also outlining graves or memorials with metal frames is not permitted.  This is destructive to mowers and can cause serious injury. 

To avoid damage to lawns, PLEASE PARK ON THE ROADS, not on the grass. 

Please use the rubbish containers throughout the Cemetery. 

Animals shall not be allowed in the cemetery or in any building in the cemetery at any time. 

   Headstone Size Regulations

The following headstone size regulations are effective as of July 1, 2005.

 

  Number Of Graves Owned                          Maximum Headstone Size

              

             2 or 3                                                      4' base; Overall height 38" Die and Base

              4 or 5                                                      5' base; Overall height 38" Die and Base

                  6                                                         6'base; Overall height 38" Die and Base