Remembrance Potpourri

 Remembrance Potpourri October 11, 2019

What to do with all those graveside flowers? Make a special remembrance potpourri
Flowers at a gravesite, courtesy of Pixabay.

Memories of those we have loved and lost are always with us. With time, hopefully, we smile instead of cry when a particularly poignant memory is triggered. And sometimes we intentionally evoke memories with special objects that remind us of those who have passed on to the Summerland. This special remembrance potpourri is one such object. Made from dried flowers from the funeral of a loved one, as well as special herbs and flowers that have ages old connections to death, bereavement, and funerals, it serves to help one not only remember the deceased, but also to honor their life and hopefully ease the grief that comes with such loss.

This project came about as a special way to honor my stepfather. As is often the case, there were plenty of beautiful flower arrangements present at the funeral, including those from us — his immediate family. In some families, like mine, it is acceptable, even expected, that those close to the deceased will remove some of the flowers in the arrangements present at graveside. Some are placed on the graves of other family members in the cemetery and others are taken home and dried as mementos. While not everyone present will engage in such a practice, for some of us it helps with the healing. Other flower arrangements are sent to hospitals, nursing homes, or special places of worship, and what is left goes home with close family members. While plants are easy to deal with, finding something to do with all the beautiful cut flowers presented a little bit of a challenge. These were, understandably, too special to simply pitch in the compost, and leaving them in a box somewhere seemed to serve no particular purpose either. A special potpourri, tailored to both my stepfather’s personality and memory, seemed the obvious answer.

Rose, geranium, lavenders and rosemary. Courtesy of Ripplestone Garden on Flickr. License info here.

I think, if you aren’t lucky enough to have dried flowers from the funeral of the person you wish to honor, it is perfectly acceptable to buy or collect flowers special to that person and dry them just for this purpose. Perhaps you can even find and dry flowers that were particularly loved by the deceased.

Begin with an ivy bowl, available in many craft stores and departments. Any size will work, except for perhaps the really large ones. While you are there, pick up a lovely crocheted doily big enough to cover the top of your ivy bowl, as well as some narrow ribbon in a color you think appropriate to the person you are honoring. Leave the bowl plain or decorate it as you wish. My parents lived out in the country where there were always flowers, so mine will either be etched with a butterfly, symbol of the soul in many cultures and evocative of open, flowered spaces, or some symbol representing the U. S. Marine Corps which played an important role in my stepfather’s early life. Other symbols that would be appropriate include ivy or grape leaves, or a symbol of something that makes you think of the departed. You could also paint the bowl or decorate it in dozens of other ways.

What To Do

After you have your container, the rest is pretty easy. Here are some basic potpourri-making guidelines to get you started. Try to mix your ingredients together in any kind of bowl but a metal one.  Most potpourris have a base of rose buds or petals. Simply using the dried ingredients will usually yield a subtle scent. If you desire a stronger scent use a scented oil. To help the scent last even longer, mix about ¼ teaspoon oil with either grated or chopped orris root (which is a species of iris) or cellulose fiber fixative, available at most crafting stores.

Now simply mix together the ingredients for your potpourri, perhaps retaining a few of the nicer looking flowers for the top and place them in the bowl. If you kept out any flowers, now is the time to put them on top of the mixture, arranging them as you see fit. Lace the ribbon through the edges of the doily, place the doily over the opening of the bowl, and tie it shut with a bow.

It is a pretty simple project, although what you choose to include in the potpourri may involve some difficult decisions. What follows is a list of several herbs, flowers, and other plants that one might find in a potpourri, as well as their connection to death, remembrance, and bereavement. While these plants have some sort of traditional meaning behind them, please, feel free to use whatever your heart or intuition indicate. This is a very personal project meant to be of use to you. Only you can decide what is best to include.

Herbs associated with Death and the Spirit World

Acorns are a symbol of life and immortality itself, quite appropriate for a powerful personality who lived life to its fullest. It is also a very masculine symbol.

Almonds symbolized hope to the Greeks. Medieval Christians viewed it as an herb signifying divine approval. According to the Victorian French, almonds were a symbol of a happy marriage.

Amaranth was considered unfading and non-withering by the Greeks. It was also a symbol of immortality, probably for the same reasons. Poets later used it as a symbol of constancy and fidelity, as well as, yet again, immortality.

Birch is the first tree to leaf out in the forest in Spring. It is associated with driving out evil and symbolizes purity. Celtic dead were covered in birch boughs, perhaps indicating that the birch was a guardian spirit who helped prepare the soul for its new life and assisted in guiding it to the land of the dead. If you are lucky, the tree will have already left bits of its beautiful bark for you to find, if not, take only as much as you need and be gentle in harvesting it from the tree.

Camellias symbolize steadfastness and a love that will be there always, regardless of what life throws in the way. To the Japanese it serves to symbolize a sudden death, making their petals appropriate in potpourri for someone dying suddenly or in the prime of life.

Carnations have been associated with motherhood and Mother’s Day for nearly a century, particularly the pink colored ones. Carnations are also a popular funeral flower, making the inclusion of their dried flowers in the potpourri arrangement more than suitable in commemorating either a mother or a young child.

Chrysanthemum’s ray-like petals symbolized the rays of the sun to those in the Orient, bringing to mind the union of heaven and earth, fullness, completeness, and immortality. It is also a fitting memorial to a person with a bright and shining personality who has lived a long and full life. It is the flower of optimism and cheerfulness, as well as rest and ease after long travails.

Cypress branches are symbols of the immortal soul and the finality of death. To Greeks and Romans, the cypress symbolized their gods of the Underworld. It was also a symbol of those with connections to the nether gods such as the Fates, who foretold the time of death, and the Furies, goddesses of vengeance not to be crossed. Egyptians used the wood for mummy cases and the Greeks to make coffins for their heroes. In a nice juxtaposition, the Cypress is a symbol of joy and grace in the Far East.

Daisies represent purity, innocence, and loyal love. Interestingly enough, the flower was also considered an emblem of Aphrodite, Venus, and Freyja. Use their petals to represent a gentle woman.

Everlastings help create never-ceasing remembrance for your loved one.

Forget-me-nots should be obvious as a symbol of remembrance. They also represent faithful love and undying memory.

Hawthorn is representative of sweet hopes and marriage. Use hawthorn berries to represent a woman you consider a queen.

Irises were planted on women’s graves to lead their souls to the Elysian Fields. Egyptians saw the flower as a symbol of life and resurrection, associating it with Osiris and Horus. It can also signify faith, wisdom, and valor, hope, light, and power.

Many different kinds of herbs, flowers, and woods can be included. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Lavender was added to incense in order to see ghosts, but it also soothes the soul. Can signify devotion and undying love. To the Victorians, lavender sent a message of sweet, undying love.

Lemon Balm provides comfort, either to the bereaved or to the deceased after a particularly difficult time. It is an herb of sympathy.

Lotus flowers represent many different characteristics, all of which make their inclusion in a Remembrance Potpourri all the more appropriate. Many cultures see it as representing great mysteries and truths. The Persians saw in it the sun, not unlike the Egyptians, who considered it a symbol of creation and resurrection. To the Buddhist it is a symbol of heaven and the Chinese use it to symbolize perfection and purity, as well as summer (another sun reference). And finally, the Japanese see the past, present, and future within the symbol of a lotus.

Maize, the food of life, was placed in the mouth of a deceased Mayan commoner.


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