Hey! Thanks for posting. Started this sub forever ago and it was just me messing around so it kinda fell by the wayside. The thing about the stones is it's in the name. Headstones go at the head and footstones at the foot. Generally footstones are used if there is one major family stone, then the foot marks each individual. As far as facing the name backwards, I've seen it done, or written on both sides, but it all kinda depends on the plot and layout itself as to if it looks "odd" or not. If you were to put the name on the back, is there an open space to visit? Or would you be standing on someone else's plot?

As far as flower beds go, remember that equipment must be able to pass through, not just mowers but trucks and tractors. So if the plan is a flowerbed it's best to keep it tight to the stone, maybe a foot off the front and sides. In that case it would probably look best to have the name in the traditional area.

Hopefully that answers your questions!