Judith Hoad made headlines in 1999 when she buried her husband's body in their garden in Donegal. She and her husband, Jeremiah, had discussed his views and had sought permission from Donegal County Council to see how they could go about a home burial.
While there are about 200 natural burial grounds in the UK, the notion is in its infancy here and is permitted at the discretion of the local authority.
The Hoads had to fulfil a number of criteria to ensure the remains would not pollute a water source or drainage system and be buried deep enough to prevent disturbance. However, once the requisite forms had been filled, and the health inspector had visited, their request was approved.
"He was buried on a plank and sown into a sheet - his whole body was covered by bark cloth made in Papua New Guinea. My husband was very spiritual but he was not a Christian - he called himself a pagan - as much to see other people's reaction as anything else, she says.
"We had a non-religious ceremony for him and the participants were family and some friends. One neighbour said afterwards that it was the most loving and respectful funeral he had ever been to."
Hoad now runs a business called Living Earth Funeral Options which sells ecopods and willow caskets and she advises on how to organise burials in grounds alternative to that of a graveyard.
Regardless of location, Hoad believes the importance of a funeral ceremony should never be underestimated. "This attitude of dump me in the compost heap is all well and good but when people die you want something that is memorable in a happy way to attach to the sad event."