London Cemeteries
Funeral flowers for
London cemeteries.
Hand-delivered tributes for graveside services across every cemetery in Greater London — from the Magnificent Seven (Highgate, Brompton, Kensal Green, Nunhead, Abney Park, West Norwood and Tower Hamlets) to municipal grounds in every borough. Composed by our local florists, placed at the plot before the service.
All venues
7 cemeteries we serve across London.
Same-day graveside placement before the time of service. Send a tribute below.
A note on the Magnificent Seven
Garden cemeteries of Victorian London.
The seven great garden cemeteries — Highgate (1839), Kensal Green (1832), West Norwood (1837), Abney Park (1840), Brompton (1840), Nunhead (1840) and Tower Hamlets (1841) — were laid out in a single decade to relieve the overcrowded parish churchyards of central London, and remain in active use as burial grounds, nature reserves and memorial spaces.
For services held at any of the Magnificent Seven we compose with the cemetery's history in mind: garden roses, peonies, English ivy, eucalyptus and seasonal foliage gathered from local growers — never the heavy florist palette of imported lilies and chrysanthemums that look out of place beneath beech and yew. The result is a tribute that sits with, not against, the place.
Beyond the seven, we deliver same-day to City of London Cemetery in Aldersbrook, Putney Vale, Greenford Park, Hendon, East Finchley, Streatham Park, St Pancras & Islington and the Jewish, Muslim and Hindu sections of every multi-faith London burial ground.
Choosing graveside flowers
What sits well at
a London graveside.
Cemetery tributes are an outdoor commission. They are built to weather a service held in the open air, often in winter rain or summer heat, and they stay in place for several days afterwards. The choices we make composing for a graveside are different from those we make for a chapel of rest.
Form and structure. Casket sprays for burial are full-length (90–120 cm) and built on robust foam frames so they hold their shape as they are lowered with the casket. Standing wreaths are fixed on metal stands rather than easels — wind catches an easel; a stand does not. Letter tributes (MUM, DAD, NAN) are scaled up to 12-18 inches per letter for outdoor visibility, and the foam base is sealed so it does not absorb rain.
Material and palette. Garden roses, peonies, hydrangea and English ivy hold their colour outdoors better than tropical or imported blooms. White, cream and soft seasonal palettes read more naturally beneath the trees of the older cemeteries; vivid red rose pieces are dramatic against headstones in winter; mixed seasonal palettes work well for celebration-of-life graveside services where the tone is less formal.
What stays, what comes home. The family decides on the day what is taken from the graveside and what remains. Wreaths and standing pieces typically stay for three to seven days before the cemetery groundskeepers remove them; smaller posies and personal pieces often come home the same day. Our florists can return to collect specific stems for drying and pressing two weeks on, returned to the family in a small frame.
Faiths and traditions
Burial traditions across
London communities.
London is one of the most religiously plural cities in Europe and our florists compose for services across the full range of British burial tradition. Each community has its own conventions; we try never to assume.
Christian (Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox). White lilies, white roses, carnations and chrysanthemums in cream, soft pink and pale lilac are the safest palette. Catholic services typically welcome white lilies in particular (the symbol of the Virgin Mary). Orthodox services tend to keep tributes modest and white-only — the casket is often closed and surrounded by candles and icons rather than flowers.
Jewish. Traditionally, no flowers are sent to a Jewish funeral; donations to a charity nominated by the family are the appropriate gesture. Reform and Liberal families occasionally welcome a single modest white tribute from non-Jewish friends, but ask the funeral director if you are unsure. Never send flowers to the family home during shiva.
Muslim. In strict Islamic practice flowers are not part of the burial. In the UK many British Muslim families now accept modest white tributes from non-Muslim friends; ask the funeral director what is welcome. White only, modest scale, no religious imagery from other traditions, and sent to the family home or funeral director rather than the mosque.
Hindu and Sikh. Hindu funerals typically conclude with cremation rather than burial, so cemetery work is rare; when it occurs, white, yellow and orange marigolds and jasmine are appropriate. Sikh services welcome white roses, lilies and chrysanthemums in modest pieces.
Practical notes
Working with the cemetery.
Timing. Tributes for a graveside service arrive 30–60 minutes before the cortège. Our florists liaise directly with the funeral director on the morning of the service to confirm the running order and any last-minute adjustments. For services with a procession from the chapel to the graveside, we coordinate with the cemetery office so the tributes are placed at the plot before the cortège arrives.
Access and stands. Some London cemeteries — particularly the Magnificent Seven — have narrow paths and no vehicle access at the plot. Our florists carry tributes on foot from the cemetery gate where this is the case. Free-standing pieces are placed on hired metal stands which we collect afterwards; family-owned stands or easels can be reused.
Multi-faith and council sections. Most of the larger London burial grounds — City of London, Hendon, East Finchley, Streatham Park — have dedicated Jewish, Muslim and Hindu sections with their own access and floral protocols. Our florists know each section's conventions and adjust placement, palette and timing accordingly.
After the service. Wreaths and standing pieces are typically left at the graveside for several days; cemetery staff remove them once they begin to decline. Letter tributes (MUM, DAD) are often photographed by the family for the order of service or for distant relatives, then dried or pressed. Our florists can collect select stems for framing on request, returned to the family two weeks after the service.
Cemeteries FAQ
Graveside delivery, placement and longer-lasting tributes.
For anything not covered here, please write to us via the contact form.