Connecting flowers and memories
Jacki Pepper, Flowers from No.8, Newcastle-under-Lyme,Staffordshire.
When I started my cut flower business, I didn’t expect flowers to evoke so many memories, and at times tears, from my customers. There is a lot of science about the effect flowers can have on our brain chemistry: the colour, scent or look of a simple sweet-pea can take people back to a childhood garden memory, to a specific time and place or to a fond memory of a loved one. For me it’s the smell of ripening tomatoes that takes me right back to my childhood, hiding in my grandad’s greenhouse, eating all the small ones I that could find.
There is also the much discussed ‘language of flowers’ which has been with us since Victorian times and which associates different feelings, sentiments and characteristics to different types of flower. I think though, that the most important meaning we take from flowers (or tomatoes!) comes from the memories that they hold as part of our own lived experience.
A wildflower style casket spray reflecting a late spring garden.
Having beautiful flowers to focus on at funeral can sometimes make a sad occasion feel a little less painful. Our associations with the flowers we see can can transport us to another time or place and bring thoughts of happy moments. That’s why getting the right tribute with the right flowers is so important, and that’s why having a conversation about what this might be is key to reflecting a personality and a life.
Although I offer a range of funeral designs on my website, each tribute is carefully curated to ensure it reflects and celebrates the life of your loved one. A few carefully chosen questions allows a family to share the interests, likes, achievements and their own memories.
Jackie is happy to meet with clients to talk about what feels like the right type of arrangement and how it can reflect a life and personality.
When I work with a family, I offer them the opportunity to visit my workshop and garden to see the variety of seasonal flowers that are available. At a difficult time, I can talk through the range of tributes and seasonal flowers, plants and vegetables that can be used to make a funeral tribute. Not only will they look beautiful, but I also hope they’ll connect friends and family to the life of their loved one, especially when they choose a design that can be easily taken apart and shared after the service, allowing people to have a small part of it to take home.
If you’re looking for a more personal and seasonal approach to funeral flowers, find Farewell Directory florists near you who’ll be delighted to offer you the same kind of service.