Where the Dogwoods Bloom
Published on June 12, 2025
Where the Dogwoods Bloom
The Martins find the perfect final resting place for their beloved mother and grandmother
As his mother Joan’s health and memory faded in the fall of 2023, Jeff Martin and his family began searching for a final resting place that fit her love for beautiful places, flowers, and the outdoors.
“There’s no doubt my mom and I should have talked about what she wanted to do when her time came. We should have preplanned her final arrangements years earlier,” noted Martin, who lives in LaGrange, Georgia with his wife Tracie and daughters Avery and Georgia. “By the time we were in the position where we had to make these choices, my mom was no longer able to communicate and share her ideas.”
Jeff set out to honor his mom’s passion for gardening and all things blooming, as he considered all the options while grieving his family’s imminent loss. He thought about the traditional cemetery in Ohio, where his mom’s parents were laid to rest.
“There are traditional cemeteries all over the place, but they didn’t feel like a place she would want to be with row after row of tombstones,” he said, recalling his family’s thoughtful mission. “We decided to cast a wide net-like search for a more natural setting, and we were thrilled to find Whispering Hills just 25 minutes from our home.”
Martin shows photographs of his mom while visting Whispering Hills on her birthday in April.
Whispering Hills Natural Cemetery and Memorial Nature Preserve, located at 3550 Mooty Bridge Road, LaGrange, Georgia 30240, features 140 acres of forest, flower-filled meadows, rolling streams, walking trails, and grassy pastures for grazing horses.
To date, nearly 200 families across Georgia, Alabama, the South and beyond have chosen Whispering Hills for loved ones passed or as part of their own final arrangements preplanning.
Families can choose among a number of options, including a full natural burial in a pine or wicker casket or a shroud, or an ashes burial or scattering. The Martins chose what they feel certain their mom and grandmother “Joni” would have wanted – a shroud burial under a special dogwood tree overlooking the meadow.
Martin and his family explored Whispering Hills, “and we found the perfect spot under a dogwood tree that blooms right around the time of her birthday on the first of April. This is definitely a spot she would have enjoyed visiting in life,” Jeff shared with a smile as he placed a small rock, as a birthday remembrance, on the tribute stone marking his mom’s final resting place.
“It’s mom’s birthday today and look at that dogwood in full bloom, what a gift that she would love as a gardener and landscape artist,” Martin noted, as he leaned on the tree that he now looks forward to visiting year round.
Jeff Martin cherishes the dogwood tree that stretches over his mother Joans final resting place at Whispering Hills.
Jeff Martin places a symbolic birthday stone atop the tribute stone that marks his mothers grave at Whispering Hills.
His regular visits to Whispering Hills stir wonderful memories of his mom and recollections of the meaningful ceremony here when his family participated in laying her to rest in December of 2023.
“The Whispering Hills staff has been so accommodating. You can tailor your ceremony however you want. If you simply want an incredibly beautiful final resting place or you want to be fully involved in your loved one’s ceremony, there isn’t a better choice anywhere,” Martin explained, noting his family opted to participate in his mother’s burial service.
“Something that was completely unplanned, but extremely powerful, happened when my family picked up shovels and helped close my mother’s grave. You can’t do that in a traditional cemetery. That gave us an incredible sense of closure and closeness,” Jeff recalled. “I’ve been to a few funerals, and what we experienced here at Whispering Hills is apples and oranges compared to the traditional funeral settings and services.”
Affordability is another differentiator, Martin noted. “Traditional burials can be quite expensive, and I certainly thought a place as beautiful as Whispering Hills would also require a premium price,” Martin said, sharing some takeaways from his family’s search. “But we found this natural cemetery to be very affordable, and my mom, who was known to be a bit frugal, would’ve loved that about this place too,” he smiled.
Martin says one of the biggest factors in his family choosing Whispering Hills is its sheer beauty and peacefulness. “It’s a place you actually want to visit and walk or ride the trails surrounded by nature,” he explained. “The peace and quiet out here is phenomenal.”
For more information about Whispering Hills Natural Cemetery and Memorial Nature Preserve at 3550 Mooty Bridge Road, LaGrange, Georgia 30240, visit www.whisperinghillspreserve.com or call 706-884-7435 to schedule a tour.
