What could be better than a posy of loosely tied flowers from your garden (or provided by a friend with a lovely garden and a talent for this)?
If you do use a florist, please ask them to make an arrangement tied with raffia using locally grown flowers – you just need to let them know that the flowers are for a natural burial.
Flowers, yes. Oasis, wire and plastics, no.
Many people remove a few stems before placing the sheaf on the coffin. These individual stems can be placed at the head of the grave after the burial.
Encourage those attending to bring a posy or perhaps some petals to scatter into the grave. What some families have done before is encourage those attending to think about what flowers or smells remind them of the person who has died, and to bring these along too. One family brought water from a local stream to sprinkle over the coffin, while others have brought lavender or rosemary for people they are burying.
Large arrangements can be taken back to the post-funeral gathering or donated to a local nursing home, please do not leave them in the burial ground.
Funeral flower arrangements in plastic frames or trays with blocks of Oasis are not in tune with what we do, and we will ask the family or funeral director to take them back with them after the burial service. Oasis is not biodegradable and poses a threat to livestock and wildlife.
Please contact us with any questions you have.
Based in Herefordshire, The Great British Florist does just the sort of thing appropriate for natural burial grounds.
Wildflower bulbs & seeds
In order to conserve the natural habitat and protect bereaved families nothing should be planted and no seeds should be scattered without our consent.
We will give consent to locally sourced plant species that are native to the immediate surroundings of the burial ground and it will be granted only to the legal representative, executor or next of kin of the person buried there. Please note that anything that appears without our consent will be removed.
It is best to get expert advice from a specialist supplier before you consider planting anything to help the meadow or woodland’s biodiversity. Our favourite suppliers are Scotia Seeds (Scotland) and Emorsgate Seeds.