Why I don't offer Floral Funeral Letters

A bucketful of freshly picked blooms ready for a hand-tied sheaf

As a seasonal flower farmer who works only with British-grown flowers, including many that I grow myself on my own plot, I choose not to create letter tributes for funerals. I grow a large selection of flowers in the most sustainable way I can, and I care just as much about the floristry techniques that I use.

The number one reason for not making funeral letters is sustainability. Traditional letter tributes are typically based on pre-shaped floral foam blocks and require large quantities of tightly packed flowers to maintain their shape and legibility. For those who know my ethos you’ll already be aware that floral foam (often described as Oasis, named after its manufacturer), is a single-use plastic product that breaks down into microplastics and cannot be recycled. Originating from the 1950s, Oasis is made from reacting phenol and formaldehydes, then turned into foam and treated with detergents which gives it its ability to soak up water. From the first time it is used (stems are easily poked into the oasis bricks), it will start to break into tiny pieces that will eventually break down into toxic microplastics. These microplastics will then take thousands of years to break down into non-toxic material, and in the meantime, they can contaminate our seas/marine life, along with the soil and our food chains.

Double ended spray from a May funeral with orange ranunculus, alliums, scented geranium leaves, calendula, and sweet peas

I am proud to say that I have never used floral foam/Oasis in over 10 years of being a florist. This is partly due to me not being taught these non-sustainable techniques at a flower college/school. Being a self-taught florist (attending various workshops  including one on sustainable Funeral Flowers), I decided very early on that I couldn’t possibly use something so damaging to the environment just to save a little bit of time, when I care so much for the way that I grow my flowers – it just didn’t sit right at all with me to be pushing flowers into such a non-sustainable product.

I’m not alone on this either, with the RHS banning floral foam use completely in all its shows in 2022 along with the current discussion (including some heated chats on social media platforms), about the change over to British grown funeral flowers and more eco-friendly techniques being used in C of E churches. If anything, the florists who are still offering tributes in foam are starting to become the minority.  Hopefully, with more of us offering beautiful British grown funeral flowers and more information being distributed about alternative mechanics and more natural and re-useable materials, floral foam will be ditched for good.

Beautiful creamy ranunculus - perfect for funeral arrangements

Additionally, as my floristry is led by the growing seasons, I use what is naturally available at the time rather than importing specific materials to meet a fixed design. Traditional letter tributes usually require specific colours and flower varieties (e.g. chrysanthemums and roses), to create clear shapes and readable words, which for most florists offering letters, mean using imported flowers that are available all year round. Staying true to my plot-grown and British-grown flowers means I focus on natural, seasonal arrangements rather than designs that depend on imports. Rather than forcing my flowers into rigid shapes, I use their natural growth, textures and scents to create arrangements that are thoughtful and in keeping with then natural world.

Native and apricot Foxgloves - perfect for a wildflower feel hand tied arrangement

Natural Hand tied Sheafs

By choosing natural mechanics and seasonal flowers, I can create funeral tributes that are far more sustainable while still being beautiful and meaningful. My tied sheafs are the most sustainable option, each arrangement being carefully thought through, with a variety of stem lengths of focal and filler flowers, laid over a base of foliage and branches, being framed by large leaves such as beautiful silver green artichoke leaves, or luscious tree fern stems. I then carefully tie the stems and branches with natural hessian and twine – 100% natural with zero air miles!  

An April hand-tied sheaf full of plot grown tulips, lilac, alstromeria cow parsely and delphiniums

Sprays and the magic of moss

I use a selection of natural and re-usable materials for creating my funeral sprays, including vines, willow whips, natural twine, chicken wire and importantly sustainably sourced moss (including from my own plot). Sphagnum moss has the most amazing ability to adsorb and retain water, and all completely naturally. It provides a constant water source for flower and foliage stems that are inserted into it and unlike Oasis, it can be dried out, easily stored (without breaking into a hundred pieces when old) and then be re-used multiple times.   

Stunning spray with alstromeria, ranunculus, tulips, herbs, ivy and early season foliage

Other designs

Alongside the traditional sprays and hand tied sheafs I love to create more custom-made arrangements that include, horseshoes, flowers for church fonts, and solid crosses and hearts. As for all my tributes, each one is as individual as the loved one it is celebrating.

A last note - Disposal of Oasis

Although I have never had to dispose of Oasis, if you have any lying around you may want to know the best/safest way to get rid of it.

Oasis is hard to dispose of environmentally and can seriously contaminate soil and water so do NOT put it in the compost, garden waste down drains or the toilet as its fragments can enter the soil and the water system. Pour any contaminated water through an old pillowcase, cloth or tea towel to capture as many of the fragments as possible. Place the remnants in landfill-bound rubbish and pour the strained water into a hole in the garden.