Burials in Texas are… interesting. Of course, there are laws that ensure official eyes are on a deceased person, checking that they didn’t die by nefarious acts (and are actually dead). But there’s a surprising level of casualness about what you do with the body once you have the right documents, especially if it’s cremated.

Texas legislators were wise enough years ago to put guardrails on burying human bodies. It’s typically banned by city codes — no putting “Pops” in the ground out back if you live within the city limits of any major Texas metro — but it’s allowed in rural areas if you own enough land.

This makes sense. Cemeteries exist for a reason. Depth requirements, ensuring the soil is appropriate, and avoiding mass unmarked graves are obvious concerns. But the rules get far looser when you’re disposing of the ashes of a loved one. In fact, in Texas, burying those ashes out back by your late Labrador is perfectly fine, assuming you own the land.

“Ashes may be stored in a crypt, niche, grave, or container at home. If you wish to scatter ashes, Texas law allows you to do so over ‘uninhabited public land, over a public waterway or sea, or on private property of a consenting owner,’” ATX Cremation reports. “Unless the container is biodegradable, you must remove the ashes from the container before scattering them.”

So, it should be perfectly legal to bury your loved one’s ashes in your backyard. But there are a couple of additional ground rules to keep in mind. In Texas, ashes can’t be scattered within 100 yards of a public road, according to Cremation Green, and public parks often require permission before you scatter human remains.

Scattering or burying ashes is becoming a much more common and popular option for many families. According to AccuCare Cremation and Funerals, a shift in cultural practices, a push for more green burial options and lower costs have all led to folks skipping the pricey burial plots and maintained cemeteries.

“Cremation in North America has been on the rise over the past couple decades, and the numbers continue to grow across the country to match or exceed the number of burials,” AccuCare says. “In fact, cremation is expected to overtake traditional burial in a number of states over the next few years.”