Sympathy Flowers

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Sympathy Flowers

• Original by Linda Rist
• Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education
  Curriculum Office
• June, 2002

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Sympathy Flowers

• Important segment of retail business
• pieces sent to the funeral home
• permanent flowers and potted plants for cemetery

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Sympathy flowers

• Bread and butter income for shops
• Not a seasonal sale
• Needed throughout the year

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Sympathy flowers

• Provide steady income for the florist
• Competition among shops is keen

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Sympathy flowers

• Area customs and traditions are important
• Must cooperate with customer and funeral home

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Sympathy flowers

• Sent as a tribute to the deceased
• An expression of love and sympathy for the
  surviving family

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Sympathy flowers

• Orders are taken, designed and delivered quickly
• Can require extra hours on evenings and weekends

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Sympathy flowers

• Family members will usually speak with the
  florist to order the main arrangements
• Casket sprays

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Sympathy flowers

• Family may need to rely on the florist for
  assistance in choosing flowers and style

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Basic designs

• Size and style vary based upon customer request
• Most common include
• Casket sprays
• Standing sprays

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Basic designs

• Wreaths
• Baskets
• Arrangements
• Green and blooming plants

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Each piece

• Is tagged with a card giving the name of the
  deceased and the sender

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Each piece

• Double cards are popular - half of the card is
  given to the family, the other half stays on the
  arrangement

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Card

• Includes a description of the piece
• This helps family to remember the piece when
  sending acknowledgements

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Card

• Address of sender may also be included

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Casket sprays

• Also called covers
• Sits on the lid of the casket
• Most elaborate piece
• Generally purchased by the closest family members

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Casket sprays

• Three sizes
• Full couch
• Three quarters
• Half couch

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Casket sprays

• 3/4 and 1/2 are the most popular
• Full couch are the most expensive and difficult
  to handle if the casket is to be opened.

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Sprays

• Most popular piece ordered
• May be single or double
• Single spray has a bow at one end with flowers
  extending to the other end

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Sprays

• Designed to be displayed on a special frame that
  holds up to one dozen sprays along the sides or
  end of the casket

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Sprays

• Single are less expensive than double sprays and
  wreaths
• Offers customer a broad price range
• Price is determined by the type of flowers used

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Sprays

• A bow is added and filler flowers are placed
  around the bow and between the primary flowers

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Sprays

• Double sprays are called standing sprays
• They are displayed on wire easels.
• Dixon picks attach the Styrofoam to the easel

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Sprays

• Two wooden picks attached on opposite ends of a
  flexible metal strip
• Double sprays are often placed alongside the
  casket

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Sprays

• Usually an oval, diamond, or triangular shape
• Bow is placed in the center with flowers
  extending in both directions

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Sprays

• May be hand tied with the natural stems showing
• Do not have a source of water and must be
  delivered the day of the funeral

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Sprays

• Hand tied are not practical for this reason
• Many use floral foam soaked in preservative and
  water
• Flowers stay fresh longer

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Sprays

• A block of styrofoam may also be used
• This adds strength to the arrangement
• Makes delivery easier

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Sprays

• Flowers are placed in water picks and inserted
  into the Styrofoam

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Wreaths

• Constructed in a similar manner to sprays
• Wreath forms are made of Styrofoam, straw, or
  plastic casing filled with floral foam

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Wreaths

• May also use natural grapevine wreaths
• Range in size from 12 - 30 inches in diameter

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Wreaths

• May add accessories to the center
• Bibles are popular - taken home by the family as
  a memento

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Baskets

• Plastic, metal, paper mache
• Grapevine may also be used
• Often a plastic liner is used inside the basket
  to hold water

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Baskets

• Most common flowers
• Gladioli
• Carnations
• Mums
• Poppons

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Baskets

• Roses and lilies may be added to increase the
  value of the basket
• Arrangement is usually triangular or fan shaped

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Baskets

• Bows are often added
• Script is often added to the ribbon streamer
• Mother, Father, Friend, Grandfather etc.

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Other designs

• Many times florists are asked to incorporate an
  insignia or logo of a group or club which the
  deceased belonged to

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Other designs

• Hearts and crosses are popular
• Living plants
• Blooming plants
• Potted plants are decorated with bows