Written by Office Manager, Claire Robertson:
Over the past couple of weeks, Gareth has been talking about resolutions, so today I’ve set myself the challenge to share a few ideas for flowers that are: in season during January; make beautiful funeral blooms; and tie in to this month’s theme!
White Heather – whilst it might seem an unusual choice, this hardy flowering plant is synonymous with ‘protection’ so it makes sense as a floral tribute and is readily available at this time of year. If you wanted to recycle the tribute and make dried posies for family and friends, then heather is also thought to help ‘wishes come true’, making it a good omen for resolutions.
Protea – this exotic flower is one of the oldest on earth and one of the most versatile coming in a vast array of varieties and colours. Symbolising ‘courage’ the protea’s striking appearance makes a clear statement that honours an extraordinary life lived. These flowers are also very fashionable thanks to the fact their easy to grow, easy to arrange, and last a long time as a cut stem – which also makes them a fairly inexpensive option.
Asters – synonymous with love and patience, these popular daisy-like flowers with upright stems have grown wild since ancient times. Also known as starworts, Michaelmas daisies or Frost flowers, the name aster is derived from the Greek word for “star,” and its star-like flowers can be found in a rainbow of colours which can be made into a simple floral tribute that stays true to the ethos of green and eco funerals.
Also in season are Calla Lilies, a very popular funeral flower with their distinctive trumpet like bloom. However, they tend to be a very expensive option because the stems don’t last long when cut. If you still wanted to use the Calla (they symbolise happiness, overcoming challenges/rebirth and purity) then you don’t need many of them – in fact just a few handtied stems can make a very striking tribute.
Symbolising courage, patience, protection, and overcoming challenges, all this month’s featured flowers make poignant floral tributes but they also make a thoughtful and hopeful gift to friends and family should you wish to recycle the tribute into a creative keepsake. After all, we could all do with some courage to stick to our resolutions in 2018!