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Celebration of a man who loved gardening... your thoughts

FireFire LondonPosts: 7,638
in The potting shed
I am beginning to plan a funeral for my old dad, a man who loved gardening and was out there watering his plants until a few days before he died.

I would like to bring some elements of the garden into the celebration gathering that we are planning. Nothing too OTT. No Dame Edna. He wasn't that way round. But a gentle presence in the old Georgian kitchen where we are welcoming his friends and family.  I can bring plants / flowers from my garden and his. But I wondered if you had any creative ideas.

I will collar some friends and ask them to prepare the kitchen for our arrival after the service, so that I'm not having kittens trying to get it all ready...

Your thoughts are very welcome. 🌱
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Posts

  • LauraRoslinLauraRoslin Posts: 496
    That's a lovely thought, Fire!  
    I wish I was a glow worm
    A glow worm's never glum
    Cos how can you be grumpy
    When the sun shines out your bum!
  • DyersEndDyersEnd Posts: 730
    Did he have a favourite flower/plant?  That's rather an obvious one, I'll carry on thinking.

  • FireFire LondonPosts: 7,638
    edited July 2018
    .
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 3,505
    Garlands of flowers wrapped round his favourite garden tools?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 66,113
    A lovely idea  :)  Is there anything in his garden that has ripe seeds at the moment ... a sharing out/passing on of those might be nice.

    When arranging the 'do' after my father's funeral we made sure that there were some sausage rolls ... they were always his favourites and there were family jokes about it ... if course, it was always him who'd eaten them in the past .... there were lots left ...  ;)
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • FireFire LondonPosts: 7,638
    Seeds are a great idea. Yes indeed.
  • raisingirlraisingirl East Devon, on the Edge of Exmoor.Posts: 4,049
    Not what you asked but just a thought along the same lines: at my Mum's funeral the undertakers were able to put me in touch with a local florist who was happy for me to bring flowers from Mum's garden to go into the flowers on her coffin. They then put the bouquet outside the crematorium as we left so members of the family, including her grandaughters, were able to take one of her flowers home with them to preserve.
    “It's not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing it.” ― Terry Pratchett
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 4,681
    If he wore a hat, that with crossed hand trowel and hand fork placed on it as a centrepiece to the table.  It would probably work even without the hat.
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 35,520
    edited July 2018
    It's  a lovely thought Fire. I haven't really got any useful suggestions [sorry] but I like  Dove's ideas for the food. We made sure we had scones with jam and cream. My Dad was a Londoner, and he loved his home baking, especially a nice scone  :)
    Music is another useful 'tool'. Again, my Dad was a musician, so we picked all his favourite pieces to be played, and his oldest friends also played. It was easier because we had a Humanist ceremony, but perhaps you could arrange something suitable for playing at the house, in the background, if you aren't able to have that at the funeral itself.  :)
    Hope you're ok too. It's such a difficult time. x
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • Hampshire HogHampshire Hog HampshirePosts: 330
    Fire another food idea at my father's wake we put out bowls off his favorite sweets Wine gums and jelly babies in his case people were intrigued why there were sweets until we explained and i must say everyone commented and enjoyed.

    I'm sure whatever you do it will be perfect it's so difficult at these times you just so need to feel you have it right but everybody understands so try not to get to stressed out.
    Easy said I know.
    "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
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