Planting flowers on a grave - flower beds, evergreen shrubs and seasonal upkeep

Plants that do well on a grave

Perennials

You plant them once and they flower for years, coming back again after every winter. The most reliable choices for a grave are varieties that cope with the hot Tbilisi summer and the cold winter and need hardly any watering: iris, phlox, sedum, lavender, perennial chrysanthemums and low-growing roses. Lavender is especially popular - it grows well even in a dry spot, flowers purple in summer and has a lovely scent.

Seasonal flowers

Annuals give the brightest colour, but they have to be replanted every season. In spring we often plant pansies and irises, in summer petunias, begonias and salvia, and in autumn chrysanthemums. Many families fill most of the bed with perennials and keep a small patch for seasonal flowers, so that the grave looks particularly beautiful for the memorial days.

Evergreen shrubs

Box, cypress, juniper and thuja keep a grave green all year round, winter included. Box has traditionally grown in Georgian cemeteries and stands for eternal life, and a low clipped box hedge makes a handsome frame for a flower bed. Cypress is planted beside the headstone as a vertical accent. We choose the size of each shrub so that, years from now, it will not hide the headstone or spread onto the neighbouring grave.

Prices

Steps in preparing a flower bed

1. Assessing the spot: how many hours of sun it gets, whether water collects after rain, what the ground is like and how often the family visits. All of this decides which plants will take.
2. Preparing the soil: cemetery ground is often clay and full of stones, so we replace the top layer with fertile soil and put drainage underneath to stop the roots rotting.
3. Choosing the plants: we show the family two or three planting schemes, illustrated with pictures and arranged by colour, height and flowering season. Often the choice falls on a flower the person loved.
4. Planting: low plants at the front, taller ones at the back by the headstone, so that something is in flower all season.
5. Mulch and watering: we cover the soil with bark or decorative gravel, which holds in moisture and keeps weeds out. The first watering is done the same day.

A sunny grave or a shady one

The same flower may thrive on one grave and wither on the next, and the reason is nearly always light. For an open, sunny grave that bakes in summer we choose drought-tolerant plants: lavender, sedum, iris and low juniper. For a shady grave under large trees, hosta, fern, begonia and box do better, as they need less light and tolerate damp. Matching plants to the spot this way spares the family disappointment and the cost of replanting every year.

Fresh or artificial flowers

An artificial flower never wilts and needs no water, which is why many families prefer them, especially if they visit rarely. In the sun, though, artificial flowers lose their colour within one or two seasons, and the wind often scatters them. Our advice is a combination: evergreen shrubs and a few hardy perennials that need almost no care, with a fresh bouquet or a good-quality artificial arrangement beside them on memorial days.

Flowers and their meaning

Many families choose a plant for its symbolism. The white lily stands for purity and the peace of the soul, box and cypress for eternal life, lavender for quiet remembrance, the rose for love that continues after death. On a mother's grave we often plant white flowers, on a father's evergreen shrubs. But the strongest symbol of all is a flower the person loved in life, one that grew in their yard or on their balcony. Some families transplant a cutting from that very garden, and it gives the grave a deeply personal feel.

Watering - the biggest challenge

Most flowers in a cemetery die from lack of water, especially in July and August, when temperatures approach forty degrees. So when we plan a flower bed we think about two things: drought-tolerant plants and soil that holds moisture. Bark mulch cuts evaporation several times over, and in some beds we install hidden drip irrigation with a small tank that waters the plants slowly. If the family rarely visits in summer, we offer weekly watering by our team.

Plants we avoid on a grave

Some plants cause trouble in a cemetery. Fast-growing trees such as poplar or willow will, over the years, damage the headstone's foundation and the neighbouring graves with their roots. Climbers such as ivy cover the headstone and leave stains on the stone. Shrubs with a strong smell or with thorns are unpleasant for the family and for neighbours. So whenever we choose a plant, we always think about what it will look like in five and in ten years.

Pots and vases on a fully tiled grave

If the grave is completely covered in tiles and no soil is left, flowers are still possible - in granite or concrete pots and vases fixed to the tiles. Seasonal flowers in a pot are easy to change, and in winter we swap them for fir branches or an artificial arrangement. A vase for cut flowers is fixed so the wind cannot knock it over and water does not spill onto the headstone.

Flower bed and headstone: points to consider

A flower bed beside the headstone is beautiful, but water and soil from watering leave marks on the stone, particularly on marble. That is why we separate the bed from the headstone with a narrow strip covered in gravel or tiles, and choose plants whose leaves will not cover the portrait or the inscription. If the headstone has not yet been installed, we make the bed a temporary one; when the headstone goes in, we carefully lift the plants, keep them safe and replant them.

A seasonal plan for the family

Many families opt for a simple seasonal plan: in March a clean-up after winter and spring planting, in May summer annuals, watering through the summer, and in October chrysanthemums and trimming the shrubs. After each job the family receives photos, and on memorial days the grave is always tidy and in flower.

Frequently asked questions