Why do we leave flowers at our loved one’s memorial?
Well, the tradition has been practiced within many cultures, for thousands of years. It was once believed that the pleasant scent of the fresh flowers would guide the deceased soul to a final resting place. It’s also a commonly held belief that fresh flowers symbolise life cycles.
Maybe you leave fresh flowers at your loved one’s memorial for more personal reasons? Maybe the flowers you place at the grave have a deeper meaning; a specific memory or favourite flower.
How might you personalise your flower selection
Personalising your funeral flowers is a common practice and wonderful touch to your loved one’s funeral service. For example, the flowers in the late Queen Victoria’s funeral wreath featured scented pelargoniums, garden roses, autumnal hydrangeas, sedums, and dahlias, in shades of gold, pink, and burgundy, all of which were of some of the queen’s favourite flowers and some of which were even grown within the Queen’s estates!
Here’s a few suggestions to consider how you might personalise your flower selection for your loved one’s memorial:
Did they love nature and walks in the countryside? A natural rural aesthetic may be appropriate.
Were they an avid gardener? A plant pot, rather than fresh flowers, may be a nice choice.
What colours did they love? Did they have a favourite colour they were known for wearing? If so this colour might capture the sentiment you’re looking to convey.
To choose fresh or not so fresh
In modern times, a common practice has become leaving artificial flowers at the grave to avoid the natural decay of fresh flowers and leave a lasting flower memorial at the grave. This choice could be seen as providing the best of both worlds, as it helps to maintain a respectful aesthetic at the grave while also reducing the upkeep. This makes for a very practical solution, however perhaps not a perfect solution.
Some people believe that the appropriate symbolism for leaving flowers at the grave may be lost with this option. For more on this perspective
www.alwaysthereaftercare.com/blog-freshfuneralflowersvsartificial
Types of Memorial Flowers and their Meaning
- Orchid (Orchidaceae) – Colours – pink, white, red, green, orange, blue, yellow, and purple. Symbol – love, beauty, refinement, many children, thoughtfulness, and mature charm
- Larkspur (Delphinium) – Other names – Lark’s Claw and Knight’s Spur. Colours; pink, indigo, blue, purple, and white. Symbol – beautiful spirit, swiftness and generally of positivity and strong bonds of love.
- Violet (Viola 0dorata) – Other names – wood violet, sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist’s violet, or garden violet. Colours – Blue-violet, white, lilac. Symbol – faith, mystical awareness, inspiration, spiritual passion.
- Gerbera (Gerbera Jamesonii) – Other names – Gerbera Daisy, Transvaal Daisy, or Barberton Daisy. Colours – white, or white with green markings, some are yellow. Symbol – new beginnings, hope, rebirth and the ability to overcome challenges.
- Cherry Blossom (Prunus Subgenus Cerasus) – Other names – Sakura. Colours – light pink to white. Symbol – life and death, beauty and violence.
- Zinnia (Zinnia Elegans) – Other names – Youth-and-age, Common Zinnia. Colours; hues-red, yellow, orange, pink, lavender, white. Symbol – Thoughts of friends or thoughts of a missing friend.
- Lisianthus (Euthoma Russellianum Grandiflorum) – Other names – Prairie Gentian, or Texan Bluebell. Colours – white, lavender, purple, pink; as well as bicolours. Symbol – beauty, life-long bonds and gratitude.
- Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema X Grandiflorum) – Other names – Daisy Mum, Florist’s Mum, Cushion Mum, Spoon Mum, Fuji Mum, Spider Mum, and Football Mum. Colour – white, yellow, orange, lavender, purple, or red; as well as bicolor. Symbol – deep feelings of loss, grief and sympathy, a friendship that was meaningful.
Relevant Considerations
Firstly, when considering leaving flowers, or any type of memorial item at the grave, be sure to check the cemetery rules of conduct first, as some cemeteries reserve the right to remove certain items that do not fall within their guidelines.
Secondly, consider the expiration date of your memorial flowers, an open-air bouquet will last up to 14 days (about 2 weeks) in the best possible conditions. Nobody likes to see withered flowers on their memorial, I would advise that you make sure that you yourself, or someone you trust, can replace the floral display at least this regularly.
Finally, you might want to take the time to consider the relevant religious traditions surrounding funeral flowers, so you can better understand how to be appropriately respectful and in accordance with the beliefs of the deceased. Here’s a link to help guide you with this https://www.teleflora.com/funeral-sympathy-collection/funeral-customs-religious?
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, it’s worth remembering the essence of what memorial flowers are all about. If you should take only 1 thing away from this article, it’s that memorial flowers, however they are presented, are a wonderful gesture of respect and admiration for someone’s life.
When I’m asked by friends & family about how they should go about selecting their memorial flowers, I always advise them to follow their heart. It may be the symbolism of the flowers that resonates with you, or it may just be as simple as the colour and design of the bouquet appeals to you.
My personal opinion, it’s not about the size or expense of the flowers that determines the value of the gesture, but it’s thoughtfulness.
What was the last bouquet of funeral flowers you purchased and what was the meaning behind them?
How We Can Help Deliver Flowers to Your Loved One’s Memorial
Do you want to deliver flowers to the memorial of a close friend or family member after reading this article? Do you perhaps struggle to do this as regularly as you might like for whatever reason?
Use this link to see how our service can make life easier https://alwaysthereaftercare.live-website.com/pricing