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Original poster

Funeral flowers in front garden ..

27 replies

justsoveryodd · 09/08/2025 10:27

There's a house near us and they have displayed in their front garden all the funeral flowers - Mum, name of person, Aunty etc. There's maybe 20 of them. It's the first time in my life I've ever seen this. Is this common or a tradition in some parts of the UK?

OP posts:
Nevertrustacop · 09/08/2025 10:46

I've never seen it before. But if you have the space, seems like a decent idea.

Marianwallace · 09/08/2025 10:47

I’ve only ever seen this in advance of a funeral, where flowers have been delivered to the house ready for when the hearse arrives to collect them.

refreshingseahorse · 09/08/2025 10:51

I've seen this around, funeral directors usually offer to leave them in the front garden after a cremation.

Hadalifeonce · 09/08/2025 10:52

If the wake is 'at home' it was usual for the flowers to be taken there after the funeral.

TTC1x · 09/08/2025 10:54

We did this for my dad when we was children 16 years ago. We are Romany and catholics so could be the same tradition for them? We left them in the front garden until they wilted.

Bunnycute23 · 09/08/2025 10:55

Is it problematic for you? I lost my husband recently. And anything that gets you through the day is worth it.

Holesintheground · 09/08/2025 10:56

Marianwallace · 09/08/2025 10:47

I’ve only ever seen this in advance of a funeral, where flowers have been delivered to the house ready for when the hearse arrives to collect them.

Yes this is how I did it for my mum's funeral and have known it for others too. Not Catholic but it seems standard to me.

sadtimeshardtimes · 09/08/2025 11:07

I’ve seen this done around here

SparklyGlitterballs · 09/08/2025 11:13

Sometimes people have the flowers delivered to the home where the funeral will be leaving from and the funeral director will place them in/on the hearse when it arrives. Other times the florist will deliver direct to the funeral home. I think the latter is more common nowadays but the former used to be more common years ago.

DisplayPurposesOnly · 09/08/2025 11:14

Never seen this but quite like the idea. Enjoy the flowers, derive what comfort you can, etc.

Dutchhouse14 · 09/08/2025 11:14

I've only seen it before a funeral ready for hearse to collect.
However if it's a cremation I can can see the point of taking them home.
A friend did this and we dismantled some of the wreaths that had longer stems and put the flowers into vases.
If it was as my neighbour I'd be very understanding if they were in front garden for a week but tbh I wouldn't like it if they were there for ages wilted and dead.

CaptainMyCaptain · 09/08/2025 11:15

Nevertrustacop · 09/08/2025 10:46

I've never seen it before. But if you have the space, seems like a decent idea.

This.

lifeisgoodrightnow · 09/08/2025 11:15

Yes my friend had this - her sons put them there.

Original poster
justsoveryodd · 09/08/2025 11:26

I think I had thought this is why people often say " no flowers or only close family " as yes it could be seen as wasteful with a cremation.

OP posts:
Original poster
justsoveryodd · 09/08/2025 11:27

Hadalifeonce · 09/08/2025 10:52

If the wake is 'at home' it was usual for the flowers to be taken there after the funeral.

That's a good point.

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 09/08/2025 11:30

What a lovely idea to display them so all the neighbours can see - a tribute to the person who died.

Funeral flowers are beautiful but so sad, but why wouldn't you display them, that's what they're for.

when DH1 flowers eventually died, I put them on the compost heap to enrich the soil with everyone's love!

MaloryJones · 09/08/2025 12:08

It was quite a usual sight when I was small, in the 1970s.

Usually though they are only there until the hearse arrives and they are then placed in said hearse .
Last year there was a funeral in my street and the wreaths were laid out the front .

upinaballoon · 09/08/2025 12:13

justsoveryodd · 09/08/2025 11:26

I think I had thought this is why people often say " no flowers or only close family " as yes it could be seen as wasteful with a cremation.

Yes, in the days when most people were buried there'd be room to leave several wreaths on a grave, but at my nearest crematorium they have limited space and leave the flowers for a very short time.

budgiegirl · 09/08/2025 12:21

I've never seen it, but it sounds nice. I know sometimes they are taken home, but I've never seen them in the front garden.

When my mum died last year, we asked for family flowers only, and after the service, these were donated to a local elderly care home. I was a bit dubious at first as it seemed a bit off for funeral flowers to be displayed in a care home, but the funeral director explained that the flower arrangements would be taken apart and used by the residents for their flower arranging activities. I thought this was lovely idea.

HelpMeGetThrough · 09/08/2025 12:26

Neighbours behind us did it a couple of years ago after their son was killed in an accident. Such a sad, but in a way lovely thing to see.

Original poster
justsoveryodd · 09/08/2025 19:54

budgiegirl · 09/08/2025 12:21

I've never seen it, but it sounds nice. I know sometimes they are taken home, but I've never seen them in the front garden.

When my mum died last year, we asked for family flowers only, and after the service, these were donated to a local elderly care home. I was a bit dubious at first as it seemed a bit off for funeral flowers to be displayed in a care home, but the funeral director explained that the flower arrangements would be taken apart and used by the residents for their flower arranging activities. I thought this was lovely idea.

Yes I've heard that this is common.

OP posts:
YYURYYUCICYYUR4ME · 09/08/2025 19:58

Not Catholic, usual in London at one time. We took the flowers home for Mum's funeral, then took them to nursing homes in the area. Later funerals we only had a service flower arrangement and asked for donations to charities.

saraclara · 09/08/2025 20:23

We only had family flowers for my husband funeral, and the wake was at our house. The flowers were brought back here, and we kept them in the back garden for a few days.

VintageMarket · 09/08/2025 20:37

This is how it was done when I was a girl in the west country (1960s). I haven't seen it for years though.

Original poster
justsoveryodd · 10/08/2025 09:58

As I said it's a new one for me and I am used to burials not cremations.

OP posts:
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