Importance and History of Funeral Flowers

It is a difficult period when a family member or a close friend passes away. The concept of funeral flowers actually started from the 18th century. In the year 1874-75 the president of the United States Mr. Andrew Johnson passed away but his body was not embalmed and resulted in foul smell before the funeral time. In order to mask the odour coming from the body the undertaker covered the casket and piled up loads of fragrant flowers over and around it. There was no foul odour till the time the funeral was over. This was how the funeral flowers came into existence.
Earlier there were flower ladies who used to carry flowers from the funeral place to the flower vehicle and also assist the funeral homes to arrange the flowers at the cemetery. The ladies were chosen very carefully and most of them used to be close friends and family members. It was considered as a great honour to be chosen as the flower lady. As time progressed due to hectic schedules the concept of flower ladies faded.
Funeral Flowers are also given with the belief that they are the best visual expression of love, care, sympathy and respect. Death is one such sad expression or feeling which cannot be expressed in words and so flowers do the work of talking and consoling in their own sweet and peaceful way. The flowers add more dignity and pleasantness to the sad and mourning atmosphere. Flowers represent eternity and immortality and so do the near and dear ones wish for the diseased.

Funeral Flowers - The Art of Ordering Them Appropriately

The beautiful floral displays at a funeral represent a variety of emotions, but most often symbolize love, sympathy and respect. Choosing the flowers for a funeral you're planning, or sending flowers to a funeral, is an art that, once mastered, can convey those feelings eloquently.
Funeral Flowers Possibilities
Flowers are used in several different ways to honor the person who has died. They might be displayed at the funeral home during a visitation, and then moved to the church for a formal funeral. They might decorate a grave or drape a casket. They are also sometimes delivered directly to the family.
No matter what the purpose, those arrangements are a visual tribute to the relationship you had with the deceased. Here are some ways that connection can be conveyed:
• "Family" sprays, casket drapes or baskets for a "Husband" or "Daughter", for example
• Cut flower arrangements
• Potted plants
• Dried flower arrangements
• Floral wreaths
• Baskets of flowers and greenery
The type of flowers you choose might be determined by cost, availability, or personal preference. The person being honored may have even left instructions about the type of floral tribute they prefer. Work with a local floral designer to choose funeral flowers, or ask the funeral director about florists in the area.
Varieties of Funeral Flowers
In the past, cut flower arrangements for funerals were usually limited to mums, carnations, lilies or roses. It was common to see tall gladiolus arranged in sprays flanking the casket. In rural areas, funeral baskets might have been made up of wildflowers or flowers from someone's garden.
Today's funeral flowers are created from an almost endless variety of flowers from around the globe. Dramatic bird-of-paradise, bright tulips and sweet daisies might be seen in containers ranging from tall floor vases to grapevine wreaths. The beauty of nature lends itself to memorials and funeral services, and can be an appropriate tribute to a loved one. Do keep in mind that being memorable and being showy aren't the same thing, and choose funeral flowers that don't overpower the rest of the service.
Consider what the one who is gone would have enjoyed in life. Think about the setting for their final service. What types of flowers or plants might bring comfort to the grieving family? By using these criteria, it's possible to choose a memorable floral tribute.
Ordering funeral flowers needn't be an agonizing decision. Decide how much you'd like to spend, what flowers the departed might have enjoyed and what you'd like your floral gift to represent. With those decisions made, you can confidently order funeral flowers that are an appropriate tribute to someone special.

The Significance of Funeral Flowers

While some people believe the first funeral flowers were used to mask the odor of body decomposition at President Andrew Jackson's funeral in 1874, the earliest record of funeral flowers was actually from the Shanidar caves in Iraq, where a 30-45 male Neanderthal skeleton was found in the fetal position with pollen deposits from eight wildflowers, among them cornflower, grape hyacinth, hollyhock, and thistle approximately 60-80,000 years ago.
Throughout history, flowers have been used for every stage of the life cycle, from birth to death. In death, flowers are a traditional way to honor the dead which is symbolic of the fragile, fleeting nature of life. It is thought that the natural beauty of flowers can also lessen some of the emotional burden that accompanies the visual imagery of funerals.
In the 19th century, "flower ladies" participated in funerals by carrying flowers from the funeral home to the procession, and were responsible for arranging them at the cemetery plot for the families; this task was considered to be as important as the role of the pallbearers.
Modern Funeral Flowers
Today, flowers are used at funerals for many reasons. First, they help facilitate emotional release, as it is frequently very difficult for mourning families to express their grief verbally. To send flowers is an expression of respect, sympathy, and love to the deceased.
Uses for Funeral Flowers
Funeral flowers can be used in many different ways. They can be displayed during a wake at the funeral home, and in a church or synagogue for religious services. They may also be used to decorate a grave, be sent directly to the family, or be draped over a casket.
While there are no specific flowers associated with funerals, some traditional choices include tulips, gladiolas, carnations roses, calla lilies, golden lilies, irises, and snapdragons.
Floral Arrangement Types
Some of the most commonly used funeral flowers include:
• Crosses and hearts
• Standing sprays
• Casket mounds
• Baskets
• Wreaths
• Live plants
Regardless of what flowers you select and how the arrangement is used, flowers can be a visual tribute to the relationship you had with the person and help you express your feelings of loss.

Funeral Flowers - how to choose your funeral tribute flowers

Some Guidelines to help you choose your Funeral Tribute.

There are no strict rules for choosing funeral flowers except to follow your heart. Funeral flowers are a way of conveying a message for which words are sometimes inadequate. They provide a means of sending a last message to a family member, loved one, friend or colleague, and also convey your sympathy with the bereaved.

Generally speaking coffin sprays are provided by the main mourners, close family or friends responsible for the funeral arrangements. Smaller sprays are appropriate but would not normally be placed on the coffin unless there were no other suitable flowers.

Similarly "name" tributes most often originate from the close family or friends.

An alternative to a coffin spray is a cross, which is placed on the coffin. There are 2 foot crosses available for use on a child's coffin or casket, whilst 3, 4 and 5 foot crosses can be provided for an adult.

There is a vast range of personal tributes, guitars, trains, teddy, rabbit etc which can be provided and, if required, your own design can be made up. Regimental or club insignia can be made up and our florists are happy to discuss with you how these can best be made up to do justice to the design. Note that individual designs vary significantly in cost depending on the complexity of the design and preparation work involved, so please contact us for details.

Funeral flowers made up in an oasis base will last longer than a bouquet. Hand tied bouquets, which are packed with water, may not be appropriate to send to the funeral as they need to be kept upright, this can not be guaranteed during the journey by car from the funeral home to the cemetery or crematorium.

For those who wish their flowers to be taken home by the family or passed on to a local hospital or nursing home, choose a bouquet or basket arrangement.

You can choose to have a sympathy card placed on the tribute with your message to your loved one, or to the family. If you feel a card is not appropriate, or there are no words - then you can choose not to have a card.

Favourite colours and flowers can be incorporated into your tribute where appropriate and subject to availability - our staff are there to help guide you and offer advice where required.

Flowers speak where words sometimes can not, your choice of tribute is a message from your heart and your choice will come naturally from your heart.

How To Choose The Best Artificial Plants Or Flowers For Your Place Of Business

You may want to think that choosing artificial plants or flowers is as easy as choosing your backyard furniture. You pick the ones that you think will survive spills, grills and the occasional seasonal frills. Otherwise, you choose the ones that suddenly chanced your fancy or the ones that cost just enough for the spare change in your wallet.

This should not be the case, especially if you are aiming for great first impressions with potential clients, or you just want to impress your peers. Here are some tips as to how you can choose the best artificial vegetation for your office or work station.

Before choosing the actual plant, think of the available space you have in your area. True, you would not need to water these particular pieces of vegetation or worry about making a mess with the soil material, but still, you would need to consider exactly where you want to install your artificial plants or flowers in order to really make a statement.

If you have very limited space (think cubicle or a small workstation) you could go for less conventional areas to place your artificial plant life in. An overhead plant or even a hanging flower box can be a great addition to your space just as long as you don't bump your head on it every so often. You could also try "climbing plants" to attach to your cubicle wall.

A small vase with a clump of flowers on the desk is such a cliche these days that some people might actually find it tacky. Go for the lean and long necked vase instead, and choose long-stemmed, artificial pieces to match.

In this case, the longer the vase and the taller the artificial plants you use, the better. You could place this floral arrangement in the farthest corner of your workstation and still catch the eye of those who are dropping by to chat or even those just passing through.

If you do have a rather large space to decorate, try not to get anything so bulky that it gets in the way of foot traffic. A large potted topiary may look elegant, but it may be better suited for the office lobby than the actual office.

Tall artificial flowers and plants in vases are also great in this setup. You might want to choose the tallest ones that are vibrant in color or unique in design. Draping orchids would be great by themselves.

However, your favorite flowers will suffice as well; just try to make sure you actually add a little something "extra" to the flower arrangement by choosing the really tall pieces, and try not to overcrowd the flowers in one container.

Large floral arrangements may be a bit too much for an office space, unless of course, you are placing one on the middle of the conference table. However, if you are going to have one, large floral arrangement in your office, make sure that every other piece of vegetation is toned down, or completely removed. One centerpiece should be enough to make a statement. Everything else would be too much.

Just one piece of advice though: if you have a centerpiece in the room, make sure that it is not on your actual work desk. This will give your peers and potential clients the idea that you are not actually working.

You can relegate the flowers to the table behind you, or a small cabinet either near the door to your office (to greet the people dropping in) or somewhere to the side (some place that is still in the visitor's line of vision.)