Geranium on a Headstone: Meaning

Bright red geraniums in a window box or on the front porch are a picture of a well-loved home. For a grandmother, gardener or good neighbour, they carry meanings of friendship and comfort.

What it means

A flower of home

Geraniums have been grown on windowsills, porches and balconies for generations, from European villages to Canadian farmhouses. Victorians gave different geraniums different meanings, from friendship to comfort. Many families remember a grandmother who overwintered her geraniums indoors each year and set them out again every spring — a small act of care that made them a symbol of home.

Design ideas

• A window box of geraniums under a cottage window.
• A clay pot of geraniums beside the name.
• Red colour-fill on grey or black granite.
• A front porch scene with geraniums and a rocking chair.

Who it suits

Grandmothers and homemakers, good neighbours and faithful friends, balcony and porch gardeners, and families of European heritage. See headstone ideas for a homemaker. See flower meanings.

Planting geraniums at the grave

Potted geraniums are one of the most common grave flowers in summer. Many cemeteries allow a pot or a built-in planter from spring to autumn. See headstones with a built-in planter and cemetery decoration rules.

A home scene

A porch or window scene with geraniums, etched from a photo of the family home, makes a warm and very personal memorial. See custom etched scenes.

Epitaphs to pair

• Her door was always open.
• A friend to all.
• Home is where she was.
• Comfort and love, always.

Key Takeaways

• Geraniums mean friendship, comfort and home.
• Window boxes and porches make warm designs.
• Potted geraniums are popular grave flowers.
• They suit grandmothers and good neighbours.

Next Step

See carnation meaning and rose meaning.