Free Delivery
Australia Wide Delivery Monday to Saturday 1300-225-510

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Sending Sympathy Flowers - to the funeral home, church or the home?

This is a question we get asked often - should I send sympathy flowers to the home of the family of the bereaved or to the church or funeral home where the service/memorial will be held? Well the simple answer is both are perfectly acceptable and we will deliver to either but there are a few things to keep in mind.


When you have flowers delivered to the home of the family of the deceased then the flowers are intended for them to display in the home as a symbol of your care for them. They can be delivered whenever you need them to be, and can often arrive at just the right time when the bereaved feels at their lowest. Sometimes you might think they will already be inundated with flowers but that is not always the case. We often deliver to a recipient who gets teary when they read the card message, and sometimes it is the only flowers they have received. They are always grateful, and touched by the flowers and the card message. It is appropriate to send a bouquet, an arrangement, or a vase of flowers to the home.


When you have sympathy flowers delivered to the funeral home, church or memorial service then they are intended to stay there - to adorn the grave site, or to be displayed during the service. These have to be delivered at a specific time so when you order be sure to tell our staff the day and time of the funeral or service and if you order online, be sure to write it on the online delivery instructions section. It is appropriate to send a sympathy wreath or a sympathy sheaf to the funeral home, church or memorial service. These are not usually taken home with the family, but the family will often have the card messages detached from the floral tributes and take these home as a reminder. We can make a sympathy wreath or a sympathy sheaf to your requirements in regards to size, colour and flower choice. 





Labels: , , ,

Friday, August 19, 2011

Sending Sympathy Flowers - what about the card message?

Devotion from our Sympathy flower range



About one quarter of all the deliveries we do every day are for sympathy orders. I know in the past I've found it difficult to know what to say to a friend in a card message so I thought I would list the more popular messages as well as some other ideas. If the flowers are being sent from a business or other group these caring sentiments are commonly expressed... 

- With deepest sympathy

- You are in our thoughts

- Our condolences

- Our thoughts and sympathy are with you and all of your family

- Our prayers and thoughts are with you

- Thinking of you
Pink Delight from our Sympathy flower range



For a longer card message, many people just wish to say something like...

Our deepest and sincere condolences on the passing of dear Rachel. Our 
thoughts and prayers are with you all.

We are so very sorry for your loss, you are in our thoughts at this very sad time.

Our deepest sympathy and condolences to you and your family at this difficult time.

We were so sad to hear the loss of your dear sister, Anne. Please be assured of our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

At this time of loss, may you find comfort in warm memories and in knowing others sympathise and care.
Our Deepest Sympathy from our Sympathy flower range



If you know the recipient personally and you also knew the deceased, it is often nice to simply share a good memory you had of the one who has passed away... 

Denise, our thoughts and prayers are with you. It was always such a pleasure meeting Jim to play golf at St Ives on Saturdays, we've had such good times there over the years.

I'll always remember Marie's smile, the way she always had time to chat. She made everyone feel like a friend.
White Lilac from our Sympathy flower range



If you would like to share more of a religious message or poem feel free to do that too. You can always email, fax or call us at Urban Flower if there is something else you would like to add to your sympathy flower message.

Footprints in the Sand
One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along
the beach with the Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed
two sets of footprints in the sand,
one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the
very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life there is
only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when I needed you most
you would leave me."
The Lord replied "My precious, precious child,
I love you and would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffereing,
when you see only one set of footprints in the sand,
it was then that I carried you."
- Mary Stevenson



Monday, August 15, 2011

Floral inspiration - Poppies {Art and Craft}

Friday, August 12, 2011

A Poppy Garden



Here in Australia, poppies aren't well-known as a cut flower. We introduced the Poppy Garden to our range a year and a half ago. Many recipients are surprised when their Poppy Garden arrives with just a few open heads, but the joy is in watching each whimsical poppy head open one at time until the last petals fall. Here, you can watch the way Sarah arranges the stems so they look like they've grown wild in a garden, the open flowers are added last in between the closed buds. The moss pressed into the base of the garden is the final addition which really completes the unkempt garden look.



Poppies are also delightful as a single stem or in a small group in an interesting jar or vase wrapped with twine. I find the less-structured the stem (as opposed to the harsh symmetry of iris and lily stems) the better for casual clumping for the windowsill.
Poppies remind me of summer fields, the crepe-paper-like crinkled petals translucent and light-filled.





(all poppy garden images sourced from here)


Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

A Flower Growing and Selling Legacy.


I was raised growing flowers in cool-weathered Tasmania. Our bulbs came from Holland in big shipping containers and then were planted in rich farming soil. We grew predominately irises, lilies, and tulips. Every Summer and Saturdays in Winter were taken with planting, weeding, picking, bunching and then digging up the bulbs again. You would think I wouldn't want to see another flower! But I do, I fill my home with these flowers. Because we worked together as a family, tulips remind me of bunching delicate stems while singing to the radio with my Dad. That first peek of blue on the iris head reminds me of how carefully I would watch for that, scissors in hand, to pick the stems, and then run down to the river with my sisters for a swim on a hot afternoon after our work was done. The heady scent of oriental lilies remind me of the way we would slip the bunches into sleeves and then drive to the airport in Launceston to take our boxes to the 10pm flight to Sydney so they would be at Flemington the next morning.


Then I married into a florist family. Which isn't so uncanny when you think about the fact that my father-in-law talked my father into growing flowers in the first place! So for me, bringing flowers home to fill the kitchen and the living area is way of coming full circle because flowers have always been a part of home and family and learning what work is and that wonderful lesson, what you plant is what you pick.


So today I'm bringing the outside in.
With Tulips and proteas and other cold weather bounties, 
and a pot of spicy vegetable soup slowly simmering
on the stove.



Labels: , , , ,

Monday, August 1, 2011

Winter Flowers: Hyacinths



One of my favourite Winter cut flowers is the hyacinth - they are so fragrant, just one stem can fill a kitchen with a lovely sweet scent. Hyacinths are thought to symbolise constancy and sincerity. Although they come in a range of colours, most of us are familiar with the blue/purple hyacinth.


In Sydney, we buy hyacinths at the flower markets as a cut flower through the Winter months.  The best time to buy Hyacinth cut flowers is when the lower petals have coloured and are just starting to open. In a cool environment with fresh water replaced daily they can last well over a week, making them an ideal gift. 

Hyacinth pot plants are available at the Flemington markets from late April. It's best to choose a sturdy, well-shaped plant with shiny, healthy foliage and bright, clear-colored flowers. Flowering plants are a wonderful gift because they can be replanted.



Here, one of our talented florists, Sarah, arranges pink, mauve and purple hyacinths into a fishbowl vase for our Dusk vased arrangement. Happy leaves are wrapped inside the vase and the dusty miller foliage adds a silver touch. Take a look at this minute-long video for more of an idea! 

Labels: , , , , , , ,

Monday, July 25, 2011

Wildflower Wedding


Earlier in the year we had the delight of making Samantha's wedding bouquet dream come true. She wanted an understated, simple wedding bouquet which "looked like it had just been picked as I walked through a Summer meadow". To make Samantha's vision come alive she came to the flower markets at Flemington with us the day before her wedding. We wandered through with her as she picked out anything that caught her eye - a bunch of billy buttons here, a few stems of lavender there. She wanted a vintage feel, something natural and relaxed that blended well - her bridesmaids wore strappy sandals and she an antique lace dress and canvas flats. Each wore floral chrysanthemum earrings.


So, with Samantha by her side, our florist Vel shaped the bouquet into one reminiscent of Summer fields and young love. She was careful to not over-structure the arrangement so it had a naturally gathered look. Samantha's wildflower wedding bouquet was made up of lavender, billy buttons, paper daisies, blue gum, thrip, status, spray roses, solidaster flowers, daisy chrysanthemums, berzillia, berries and lizianthus. Vel tied off the stems with a simple vintage pearl ribbon. Isn't Samamtha just the most darling bride?



Labels: , , , , , , , ,