Our Monthly Tip: Use a Floral Metaphor to Express the Pain of Your Loss

Our Tip of the Month

Love Lies Bleeding, which is a member of the amaranth floral family, is a striking plant that can offer a visual representation of your grief and overflowing love. This annual flower, which gained popularity in the Victorian age, is known for its drooping red blooms that give off a warm scent of honey. The sprawling, ponytail-like buds can represent hopeless love or have a religious allusion to Christ with his bleeding wrists.

How-to Suggestions

Use the Amaranthus flower to style your celebration-of-life ceremony by coupling it with a number of birch pedestals. Trunks of different heights allow for layering; candles and lanterns can be used to add interest to your design. You can also use the flower to adorn a backdrop to be used for an outdoor eulogy. The deep crimson buds will add beauty and meaning to the service. Love Lies Bleeding is available at most florists’ shops and is also fairly common at farmers markets.

John Milton once described the flower as ”immortal” in reference to the flowers that generally do not wither and retain bright reddish color, even  after they die. Elton John also wrote a song named after the flower, which is explored in one of our posts from earlier this year. Let this lovely flower symbolize your undying love and devotion to those who mean the most to you.