A FLORIST from Droitwich has shared her delight in seeing the first ever exhibit of funeral flowers at the coveted RHS Chelsea Flower Show (May 20 to 24).
Hanbury florist, owner of Flowers by Anna Brian, is sharing her support for The Farewell Flowers Directory which for the first ever is showcasing funeral floristry at the prestigious celebration of flowers.
Anna is a member of the directory – a not-for-profit founded in 2024 with a mission to remove plastic floral foam from funeral floristry.
It was founded in 2024 by florists and flower farmers Gill Hodgson MBE and Carole Patilla and has over 190 member florists across the UK. They connect people to funeral florists who offer flowers made without single-use plastic or floral foam.
The Hanbury florist said: “We are so thrilled that The Farewell Flowers Directory is bringing the beauty of funeral flowers out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
“We want people to know good funeral flowers should be anything you want them to be.”
Featuring exclusively British-grown flowers and foliage and completely free of plastic floral foam, the spectacular installation will demonstrate it is unnecessary sacrifice beauty for sustainability.
The directory hopes the display will spark conversations about what funeral flowers and funerals can be. The Chelsea installation by The Farewell Flowers Directory will take the form of an artistic interpretation of a funeral scene.
Gill Hodgson MBE, co-founder of The Farewell Flowers Directory said: “We hope our Chelsea exhibit will help start conversations and let people know they have a choice.
“You can choose to celebrate and reflect a life with fresh, seasonal materials that are natural, beautiful and resonant with meaning. And you can choose for your tributes to tread lightly on the planet.”
The Farewell Flowers Directory exhibit is sponsored by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), Green Funeral Flowers by Tuckshop Flowers, New Covent Garden Flower Market and Workplace Bereavement.
Visit www.farewellflowers.co.uk for more information.
