Adjoining the church property is a secluded, rectangular space, fenced on three sides and screened by shrubs and trees. What once was untended forest land, with tall evergreens, deciduous trees and a grassy clearing in the center is now the site of the St. Michael’s Memorial Garden. Undoubtedly the largest church memorial garden in the Toledo area, the Memorial Garden, dedicated in 1976 as a sacred place for interment, has to date offered over 200 parishioners a peaceful last resting place. At the time of the dedication, the Vestry also created the Memorial Garden Committee to look after the area. Through the efforts of committee members over the years, the beauty and natural setting of the garden have been maintained.
A the present time, the Memorial Garden Committee, headed by parishioner Mary Anne Brown, takes care of the garden throughout the year, rigorously pursuing a long-standing commitment to rid the garden of invasive plants and dying Austrian pines. While this is a lengthy, on-going process, the committee is now focusing on planning the future layout, which will include replacement plantings suitable both to the environment and the beautification of the garden.
