Farewell flowers

When my Mum passed away, I knew her funeral tribute was the last thing I could do to honour her. She absolutely loved flowers, especially mine of course! 

My Grandfather had been a flower farmer and my Nana used to make bouquets, which Mum would pull up the big hill in a trolley to sell around the village. I remember as a child picking flowers in the garden and arranging them with Mum around the house. There were always flowers in our house as my dad was also quite a romantic.

Mum’s wish was for ‘lots and lots of flowers’, so we created this 6’ topper which completely covered the top of her willow casket. The design was based on the wildflower bank at my childhood home.

The gentlemen also had buttonholes and we filled the hotel for her wake with jam jars of spring flowers as ‘favours’ for the guests.

The following day I thought about Mum as I deconstructed the topper and made up arrangements to deliver to our local care home and hospice.

Sustainable flower mechanics

My Mum was a quiet Eco-warrior and we haven’t used floral foam for nearly 10 years. The base was a compostable raft construction which Dad and I made together from twisted willow branches and moss, bound with hemp.

I’ve never experienced a loss so close before and I so glad I was able to spend time choosing and creating her final flowers. When I did my reading at the service, I looked across at Mum’s casket and at her flowers. They were so beautiful, they lifted my heart at a very difficult time.

Flowers & Foliage

The foliage was gathered from the farm and the garden, with additions of verbena and soft magnolia buds from and beautiful hazel catkins. The foliage also included rosemary (for remembrance from the Victorian Language of Flowers), bay, varigated pittosporum, ivy trails, lilac buds and choisia.

Flowers included hellebore, hyacinth, three types of double tulips, several different narcissi and white alstromeria. Nearly 300 stems altogether.