On July 19, 2012, I lost a baby, a sweet boy named Gabriel. His loss has been my greatest pain, just as his life has been my greatest joy. Ever since our baby left us, I have found new beauty in the world. I have come to believe that when children depart this earth, they leave imprints of beauty all around, little symbols to remind us they were once here, and though their souls are in Heaven, remnants of their precious spirits will always surround us.

Downloading Your Photos:

You are welcome to download your child's photos! To do so, enlarge the image by (LEFT) clicking on it. You should see it expand on your screen. Then RIGHT click on the image and select "SAVE IMAGE AS". The photos will download as medium to high-res JPEG images.

Please only download your child's photos.

You can also download your photos from our Facebook album.

Additional Information

1. Anybody who has lost a baby at any gestational age, or who has lost a child under 21, may request a flower for that person. If you have experienced multiple losses, I will pick a different flower for each of your children. 

2. Flowers are picked and photographed approximately once per month (sometimes twice), and will be done so in the order they are requested.

3. There is no charge associated with Gabriel's Garden. This is a gift from my son to you and your child.

4. If you need your flower by a specific date, I will try my best to do so. Please e-mail me and let me know what date you would like it by. However, due to the long wait list, it may not be possible. 

5. The flowers are all picked and photographed at a botanical garden in Southern California. The species of flowers that are in bloom at any given time are unknown to me until I arrive at the garden. You are more than welcome to make special requests regarding the type of flower, size, or color, however I cannot make any guarantees, as the flower you want may not be available.

6. Every flower is picked special for your child and photographed only once. If you notice your child's flower looks similar to someone else's, it's because there are only a certain number of species in bloom at any given time, so I may need to pick 2 or more flowers from the same plant. 

7. Every flower is picked with a prayer. 

8. I do not write anything on the actual flowers. Text is added digitally. If you would like a special note embedded in your picture, I would be happy to do so. Or I would be honored to come up with something special for your child. (Please see sample photos on the home page of this blog.)

9. All photographs will be posted on the home page. Please only download your child's flower. 

10. Almost every photo is treated with photoshop, snapseed or a photo-editing filter. This is to enhance the flower's natural beauty and to remove any visible flaws that may take away from the photos. If you prefer a more "natural" look, please request that your photos be minimally edited when you make your request.

11. After the flowers are picked, they are "released" to the sea. I lay them on the seashore and allow the ocean waves to carry them away gently. Photographs are taken of the flowers right before they are taken away and posted on my Facebook page.

12. Because it may take several weeks for your flowers to be picked and pictures to be posted, I recommend you follow me on facebook, so that you know when your pictures are ready. 


13. Suggestions, comments and questions are always welcome! 



With Love,
Catherine 

5 comments:

  1. I placed a request for my son Finley, and was wondering if his flower could be a sweet pea if possible. If not any flower will do.

    I think this is so lovely for you to do in memory of Gabriel.

    Lisa
    http://dear-finley.blogspot.com

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  2. Lisa -- I am pretty sure I have seen sweet peas at the garden but not 100% sure they are in bloom. I will look though and if not, I will find something similar! I love sweet peas as well :)

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  3. I can't wait to get on your wait list!!! I keep looking! :)
    ((Hugs))

    ReplyDelete