Farewell flowers - a quiet revolution

The Farewell Flowers Directory team in front of their Chelsea Flowers Show gold medal winning display

Funeral flowers are changing. Quietly at first, as a new generation of florists and flower growers started questioning whether the status quo of imported flowers stuck in single use plastic floral foam was really the best way to celebrate the life of a loved one. Working individually to develop alternative methods and then joining together as part of the wider sustainable floristry movement. Swapping ideas and mechanics in the collaborative spirit of true revolutionaries, not the gatekeepers of the old ways. The sustainable funeral flowers movement gained champions in the form of Gill Hodgson (founder of Flowers From the Farm) and Carole Patilla whose not for profit The Farewell Flowers Directory brought eco farewell flowers to the national stage with their  ground-breaking RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medalling winning display in May 2025.  

A wild spring meadow casket topper in my Sidmouth cutting garden

There are so many wonderful ways to celebrate and honour your loved ones with flowers without resorting to single use plastics and floral foam. From my cutting garden in Sidmouth I offer Devon funeral flowers and floral tributes which don’t cost the earth. Joyfully wild meadows which seem to grow from the top of the casket and are designed to be repurposed and live on after the service. Incorporating living plants that can be replanted afterwards to act as living tributes or removable posies to decorate the wake.

A joyful Devon funeral wreath featuring living pansy, wild strawberry and violet plants designed to be replanted after the service

Helping you say goodbye is a privilege I do not take lightly. Each floral tribute is bespoke, I design to capture your loved one’s personality incorporating references to their passions and hobbies from crosswords to baking. Each Sidmouth funeral flower tribute is a unique snapshot of what is blooming the week of the service. Using only British grown flowers throughout the year. I include a little guide to your funeral flowers detailing the flowers used and explaining how to deconstruct and replant any living elements. You can find out more and start the conversation about your Devon funeral flowers here.

A butterfly floral tribute designed to dry as a keepsake