We’ll help you to find natural funeral flowers with a softer, wilder feel that are as individual as the people they’re made for.
Dying Matters is a campaign run by the charity, Hospice UK, this year it took place on 6th – 12th May 2024. Hospice UK work with local organisations, decision-makers and the general public to make things better for people who are dying or grieving.
Every year, people around the UK use Dying Matters Awareness Week as a moment to encourage all communities to get talking in whatever way, shape or form works for them.
This year’s theme, ‘The way we talk about Dying Matters’, focuses on the language that we use, and conversations we have, around death and dying – specifically between healthcare professionals and patients, their carers and their families.
Flowers and foliage change with the weather, the seasons and the people who grow them. Instead of working from a catalogue of designs, our members work from conversations and create unique funeral arrangements especially for you.
Shows the profound impact of gardening and nature on the grieving process.
40% say gardening has ‘saved them from grief’. The survey reveals how flowers play a crucial role in evoking memories of relatives, with over one third (37%) finding this to be the case, with roses (42%), daffodils (15%), and sunflowers (13%) topping the list.
Three-quarters of bereaved people agree that nature helps heal (73%), and over two thirds (68%) find that being in nature helps people who are grieving.
Find out more about Sue Ryder here ‘Because no one should face death or grief alone’.
Decide what feels right
Funeral flowers don’t have to be shapes, letters or pictorial tributes – they can be anything you want them to be – from well-loved gardening boots filled with flowers, to wild arrangements inspired by country walks and anything in between. Take a look at our gallery to see funeral flowers inspired by nature.
Fieldhouse Flowers willow heart with roses
BriarRoseWheel
Tuckshop Flowers Boots
Sustainable Funeral Letters by Jen Stuart-Smith of Blooming Green Flowers
Funeral willow heart arranged by Featherstones English Flower Co Andrea Gilpin Photography
An arrangement which sits on top of the coffin. Available in different sizes and often termed ‘double ended’ or ‘single ended’. Double ended tapers to a point at both ends, whereas single ended has a straighter edge at the head end, tapering to a point towards the foot. It’s often chosen as the main arrangement.
Usually an open centred ring or sometimes an open centred heart. These can be fully decorated, or garlanded to cover only part of a decorative base. Natural wreath bases can be woven willow or twiggy bases, or frames covered in moss. Can be the main flowers or used as additional arrangements for a funeral.
A tied sheaf is a beautifully simple form of funeral flowers. Like a large flat-backed bouquet, a sheaf is made to lie on top of the coffin and can be used instead of a casket spray or wreath. Can be used as the main flowers or as an additional arrangement for funerals.
Posy can mean different things, so check with your chosen florist. A ‘posy pad’ is a round dish (usually of floral foam) filled with flowers. Posies can also be small tied bunches of flowers which can be attached to the sides of the coffin or placed on it as small tributes as part of the ceremony. Can also be used to decorate the wake, placed in small jars or vases.
A garland or swag can be made of foliage, flowers or a mix of both and is wrapped around the coffin or attached to the sides and ends. It isn’t possible to weave flowers through willow or rattan coffins so garlands are a practical way to add flowers to the sides. Check with your undertaker if you’re not sure how the garland or swag might be added to your chosen type of coffin and they will be able to advise you.
See our directory listing to find Flowers from the Farm members offering funeral floristry services near you.