September Floral Tributes: Iris sprays, vegetable pillows, or charitable donations?

Written by Claire Robertson:

September is here and so is the chill in the air here in Cardiff! It’s officially the start of autumn; the time when plants and flowers begin to bear fruit and harvest begins. This means that when it comes to funeral flowers in September, there is an abundance of in season, British grown flora to choose from…For a traditional spray, sheath, or wreath, Violets and Irises are at their prime in September, but they’re quite short lived tributes as they aren’t particularly hardy stems.

For a longer lasting, more contemporary tribute – which might be of particular interest if your loved one is a keen gardener or allotment keeper – September is the ideal time for a Funeral Pillow made up of the vegetables of the season.

The question I’d like to pose to you this month is – do you know what sort of floral tributes your loved one would like? Would they even want flowers?

Oftentimes, floral tributes are provided by close friends and family, with a request for donations to a named charity thereafter… but:

  • Do you know whether your loved one wants any floral tributes?
  • Would they prefer all tributes were monetary?
  • Which charity would they like to donate to?

You can only know these things if your loved one has discussed their wishes – either with you, or a funeral planner. Whilst floral arrangements might not be at the top of everyone’s final wishes list, for people who want a green funeral, this is likely to be a big decision…

It’s often the case that whilst people aren’t entirely sure what they want – they know exactly what they don’t want! For example, funeral wreaths in the shape of names (‘Dad’, ‘Mum’ etc) tend to divide opinion. As do carnations and chrysanthemums!

If this blog inspires you to do one thing – why not ask your nearest and dearest what their favourite blooms are, and then tell them what sort of floral tribute you’d like (or really don’t want!) at your funeral. You might be pleasantly surprised where the conversation leads…