Each funeral arrangement is special

Christa van Altena of De Bloemerije in the Dutch town of Doorn believes that funeral arrangements are the most rewarding aspects of the floristry profession. “People are thankful, not only for the flower arrangements you make, but also that you take so much off their hands. I arrange the delivery and placement with the funeral director, so that the bereaved don’t have to do that themselves. They already have so much on their minds.”

“I take a lot of photos of my funeral arrangements, which often makes choosing them very easy. For funeral arrangements I like to work with grasses and different levels, as if it were a garden. Gossamer-like flowers such as Myosotis and Anemone are ideal for this. This requires a lot of floral foam work, but the end result is a tall and elegant arrangement of 1.5 metres. Each funeral arrangement is special.”