The emotional and psychological benefits of flowers during times of grief

Losing a loved one is never easy. The weight of grief can feel overwhelming, leaving us struggling to find solace in the midst of sadness. However, amidst the darkness, there is light to be found in the presence of flowers.

However, it's not just about cut flowers - simply taking a stroll, inhaling the fresh air, absorbing the scenery, and even admiring foliage can be uplifting. Even if the flowers aren't in full bloom, the leaves are still appealing and sometimes fragrant. Immersing oneself in the delicate details of flowers can offer a much-needed escape from the daily pain. The senses of touch, sight, and smell can transport us to a different, more serene place.

During a funeral, flowers can serve as a comforting focal point when everything else seems overwhelming. The fragrance of the flowers can be soothing, and certain floral arrangements may carry symbolic meanings that provide solace to those grieving. Sometimes, when words fail, flowers can express exactly what we're feeling.

In addition to offering solace before and during a funeral, flowers can also be a meaningful way to honour the memory of a loved one on the anniversary of their passing - a gesture that can be just as impactful down the line. Grief may not fade away completely, but it may evolve over time. For instance, after my Mum's passing, friends gifted me a rose bush as a thoughtful reminder that they were thinking of me and a beautiful symbol of my Mum’s enduring presence in my life.

It's important to acknowledge that every individual grieves differently. While some may prefer not to have a traditional funeral service, opting instead for a memorial focused on flowers and photographs, others may find solace in a more traditional approach. Some flowers may evoke negative memories - perhaps the individual disliked the scent of lilies, while others may bring about positive reminiscences, like the partner who always received a bouquet of red roses. It's essential to respect each person's unique grieving process and find healing through the beauty and symbolism of flowers.

Unique Autumn Inspired Funeral Flower Ideas

The abundance of summer gives way to less choice in flowers (particularly local farm grown) in Autumn, so it's sometimes necessary to consider using other items within the floral farewell pieces.  

When arranging autumn florals there are so many wonderful natural elements to bring in, it's not always about the blooms; there are seed pods, skeletal stems, horse chestnuts, cones and acorns to name a few.  Leaves in an array of colours.  Pumpkins and gourds.  If someone was an avid gardener and loved their plot or allotment why not include fruit or veg into the design?

For those who appreciate a more rustic and natural look, incorporating twigs, branches, and dried grass can create a beautiful autumn-inspired piece. These elements bring a sense of nostalgia and the beauty of nature's cycle into the arrangement. Adding in some dried lavender or lavender essential oil can also bring a calming and soothing scent to the arrangement.

One flower that comes into its own in Autumn is the Chrysanthemum offering beautiful shades of bronze, pink and red or sunny yellows, golds, creams and whites.  Did you know that the Chrysanthemum means different things to different people and cultures?  In Japan the flower signifies death and whilst many of us associate it with this too, it can also represent rebirth.  The flower can be used to remember a long life full of happiness and joy.

The garden design for a cherished Dad (below) reminds us of the change in seasons. Cones and bark add interest and different textures, whilst rosemary signifies remembrance of the loved one. Dahlias, like Chrysanthemum, epitomise the tones and seasonality of Autumn.

As a funeral florist, it is always important to listen to the wishes and preferences of the grieving family. Whether they prefer a more traditional floral arrangement or want to incorporate the beauty and symbolism of autumn, there are endless possibilities to create a unique and meaningful tribute.

In conclusion, autumn offers a variety of unique and creative options when it comes to funeral flower arrangements. By incorporating natural elements, using seasonal flowers, and adding personal touches, you can create a beautiful and meaningful tribute that honours the life of the departed. Remember, it's not just about the blooms, but also about bringing in the essence of the season and the memories of the loved one.

Unique Floral Designs to Honour a Loved One's Passion and Hobbies

Losing a loved one is undoubtedly a difficult experience, but finding ways to honour their memory can bring some comfort.  Floral designs that reflect their passions and hobbies offer a unique tribute. Let's explore the process behind these distinctive floral designs and the importance of capturing someone's personality. 

As a florist, designing custom floral arrangements goes beyond arranging flowers. It involves careful planning, creativity, and communication with my client. The first step is understanding the departed loved one through conversations with my client. By learning about their personality, interests, and hobbies, a design that truly embodies their character can be conceptualised.

During these discussions, we explore specific hobbies or passions the loved one had. For example, they may have been an avid gardener or had a deep love for football. By considering these aspects, unique ideas that reflect their interests can be generated. This ensures active client participation, allowing the final creation to resonate with their loved one's memory.

To bring these ideas to life, I can create sketches as a visual aid of the proposed designs. These sketches serve as a reference point and aid in decision-making. Clients can picture the floral tribute and offer valuable feedback, refining the design. This collaborative process brings about innovative and unusual designs.

Designing a distinctive floral tribute involves creativity and sometimes thinking outside the box. Unconventional elements can incorporate the loved one's passions, such as miniature gardening tools or football accessories. These personalised touches make the floral tribute meaningful and evocative representations of their life.

Here are a few examples:

Picture one: A 'Dad' who's passion was gardening but also enjoyed a tipple too

Picture two: A fisherman who loved nature

Picture three: Carnations en masse, to symbolise a tennis ball, to represent a lady who loved tennis

While aesthetics are important, the mechanics of the design are equally crucial. Ensuring the arrangement is structurally sound prevents anything from moving or falling off. Attention to detail and expertise in floral mechanics guarantee the longevity of the tribute, allowing it to be appreciated after the service.

Creating a unique floral design to honour a loved one's passions and hobbies is a heartfelt and transformative experience. It provides an opportunity for family and friends to reminisce and share cherished memories. Insights gained from conversations spark new ideas, resulting in even more personalised and meaningful floral tributes.

Flowers have a profound way of communicating emotions and memories when words fall short. Custom floral designs, crafted with care, become an expression of love and remembrance. By capturing a loved one's passions and hobbies, these unique tributes become lasting symbols of their extraordinary life and the impact they had on others.

In times of grief, the artistry of floristry offers healing and comfort. Each bespoke floral arrangement celebrates a loved one's spirit, creating heartfelt and memorable gestures of remembrance.

If you’re looking to pay your final respects to someone special in your life, but need some assistance in choosing funeral flowers, you can read my blog here. Alternatively, get in touch with me directly here.

How Much Do Funeral Flowers Cost

This is quite a difficult question because it depends on the type of arrangement you choose, the size and the choice of flowers included. 

Some people do not appreciate the amount of work involved in these arrangements, so wonder why they are expensive.

But if you consider conversations/meetings with clients, planning, ordering, collection, conditioning of flowers and foliage and sundries, without even spending time physically putting the design together, it gives you an idea of what is involved.

So back to the original question. Small arrangements, such as posies can start around £35 and coffin sprays upwards of £150. Click here for more guidance on funeral flowers and my price guidelines. If there's something you have in mind for a special loved one, you can contact me here and I'll be happy to discuss your requirements.

Choosing your funeral flowers

I'm often asked what the most popular flowers are for funerals and in the past I would have said lilies and roses.  Whilst these are still popular, trends are changing…

Some people really have an aversion to lilies, because of their scent but also for the very reason they are associated with funerals. In my experience the styles of arrangements are changing too, so families do not always want structured but prefer a more natural look to their farewell flowers. Click here to read more in my blog on A Guide To Choosing Your Funeral Flowers

Sharing a couple of funeral flowers to take a look for inspiration

If that's something that you would like to consider, contact me at www.flourishingflowers.co.uk. Alternatively, follow me on my Facebook page HERE for more funeral flower tips and inspiration.

How To Care For Funeral Flowers After The Funeral

Some of my clients prefer to take home the arrangements after the funeral service.  Whilst some flowers may be in bud, unlike gift bouquets designed to last for some time, funeral arrangements are made to look their best at the funeral. 

However, there's nothing wrong with keeping them going a little longer. 

So what should you do?

Some like to leave the arrangement in the garden and look at the flowers. If you decide to do this, I would suggest you give it water every day, unless it rains, of course. As an alternative, the flowers and foliage could be removed from the arrangement and placed in vases or jam jars. I would suggest you recut the stems at an angle to encourage the fresh water to be taken up, removing blooms as they fade and refreshing the water too.

Repurposing floral funeral arrangements

I'm often asked to make alternative arrangements for customers and one that's really popular is a coffin spray that can be distributed to the guests after a service. 

Many dislike the fact that after a couple of days, the crematorium or place of worship dispose of the designs, and to many it seems such a waste.  Seeing the display going out to others may give comfort to the family and give the guests something beautiful and positive to enjoy.  

If that's something that you would like to consider, contact me at www.flourishingflowers.co.uk. Alternatively, follow me on my Facebook page HERE for more funeral flower tips and inspiration. 

A Guide To Choosing Your Funeral Flowers

Are you looking to pay your final respects to someone special in your life?

It goes without saying that it’s never easy when you lose a loved one. Choosing and organising the right funeral flowers can be a little difficult, especially when we’re not in the right frame of mind and feel there is too much to deal with - both practically and emotionally. Understandably too. So with that in mind, below are 5 floral designs to give you a guide to choosing your tribute.

Funeral Flower Types

The Heart

The open or closed heart are often chosen by close family members, or perhaps by children signifying the love they had for the deceased, and acts as a very personal statement.

A Coffin Spray

A coffin spray, sometimes known as a double ended spray or Casket arrangement.

Traditionally this is the arrangement that sits on the coffin as it is taken into the chapel for the service. It is often chosen by the close family members as their parting gift. Some families prefer to have this coupled with donations to a charity rather than masses of flowers.

There are choices in respect of how these are arranged such as 'living' arrangements, those that can be taken apart and distributed amongst the mourners or one that will remain at the crematorium or place of worship. For further details, take a look at my home page HERE

The Wreath

The wreath signifies the circle of eternal life, so is often seen as appropriate for funerals. 

These can be made up with a mass of one flower or a mix of different flowers and colours.

Alternatively, these could be more natural structures of twisted branches of willow or dogwood with foliage and flowers.  Whatever the choice, this is a classic and tasteful arrangement

The Sheaf

This is a hand tied arrangement that is designed to lay flat, in a teardrop shape. This can be made up of a mix of flowers and styles both classic and contemporary. It is often popular made up of one single type of flower like a rose with added foliage.

The Posy 

This is a perfect arrangement for a funeral and is an especially popular choice with friends or for young children.  A round design that can be seen from all sides, with a dome shape to the top. If you are in doubt about the type of design to choose, you cannot go far wrong with this.

I feel that times are changing and hopefully for the better in respect of floristry. My clients have often wanted more than a standard arrangement and why should they only have these just because it's always been done that way, when there are so many alternatives

Take for example the massed chrysanthemum arrangements.  Now we can offer more than this - something more sustainable, something with longevity and not just thrown away after a couple of days.  This is why I have introduced living arrangements to my portfolio. 

These can be made in various shapes and can be planted out giving the family some comfort at a difficult time after the funeral.  They can be made up of a mix of annuals and perennials at this time of year, or when plants are more limited during the winter, perhaps bulbs, perennials and some cut flowers. 

 The joy of these is that they can be arranged with what is in season. Give me a call if you would like to discuss further, or contact me HERE.

Organising funerals can be incredibly distressing, and whilst I can’t wave a magic wand and make it all go away, what I can do is be there to listen to your story. What did your loved one like? From their favourite memories, their passion, a hobby, their favourite flower or colours, are questions we will work through together to help you organise the perfect flower tribute for your special loved one.

I will support and guide you to choose personal and fitting flower tributes, as well as advise you on the funeral process, alleviating some of the stress of the situation.  One arrangement does not fit all, nor should it. Contact me HERE me to enquire further.