Has anyone planted poppy seeds in any CWGC Graves or Cemeteries? Do you think this is inappropriate? You thoughts below please... I've just been looking on the RBL website and noticed they sell packets of poppy seeds and wondered how CWGC would feel about them being sown in the flower beds in front on the headstone. Obviously contacting CWGC would be the correct thing to do but was wondering what members thought and if they have done it? Cheers Andy http://www.poppyshop.org.uk/centenary-poppy.html
Hello Andy I have not done so. I imagine the CWGC would advise to contact the particular cemetery in question to abide by their rules. I have seen flowers planted (Pansy type flowers) at the foot of the CWGC headstone/Private grave by persons remembering the casualty or by the local authority tending the cemetery. Most of the large cemeteries do tend to strim down the grass and this would include any wild type flowers around the graves during the spring/summer period. A number of church cemetery authorities leave large chunks of the graveyard to nature which sometimes becomes quite overgrown.I have seen a few poppies within the wild flower mix but not at any specific grave. Image of one churchyard left to go to nature (church authority sign usually states if anybody needs to visit a grave they will cut a path) regards Clive
Andy, I have broached this subject with the CWGC Head Gardener here in Berlin due to a request from a member of our RBL Branch. It is a Long Story but several years ago we had a visit to our branch from three Scottish Ladies, one of whom was the sister of an airman buried in the CWGC Cemetery on Heerstrasse. She was visiting Berlin to lay a wreath on her Brothers grave and was with two other Family members. It turned out that her Cousin served with my late father in the 4th Reconnaissance Corps. A friendship was formed and I correspond with Nancy, although she is now too frail to travel back to Berlin. Myself and another member of the Branch, Rolf, Remember twice a year the Date that he died and Remembrance Sunday when we lay an RAF Wreath and flowers. Rolf asked me to enquire if we can plant a Rose at the grave and this is why I spoke with the Head Gardener. The answer was that the CGWC do not forbid the planting of bushes or Roses etc, but they must be dwarf and not spreading and growing much or they would be cut back or taken out if becoming a nuisance, ie the engraving being obscured. We have since planted a Dwarf Rose bush which does not hinder anyone looking at the Gravestones engraving. Always best to enquire at the Cemetery first. Regards Tom
Hi Andy, When I visited Rangoon War Cemetery in 2008, one of the other families enquired about planting their own special tribute to their loved one. Sadly, due to the nature and the low lying size of the memorial plaques in the cemetery this was not possible. However, the curator of the cemetery did offer to contact the family before the next planting program was due and offer them a choice of which native plant they would prefer. So, as Tom's input has shown, I would say that there might be some scope for self-planting in CWGC cemeteries. As an aside, the Head Gardener at RWC also contacted all the families of our tour in May 2008, to assure us that their had been minimal damage to the cemetery by Cyclone Nargis, which hit the city about 6 weeks after our visit.