From Ashes to Blooms by David Holmes
April 3, 2025 / Features
It’s National Pet Month, so in this week’s Guest Blog it’s lovely to hear from David Holmes, founder of Ashes to Blooms, who has recently extended his service to include seed memorials for much-loved pets.
The Inspiration
In January 2022, after 12 years with Lucy Rabbit as my misbehaving & cheeky companion, and who was also my entertaining lockdown buddy, I had to make the heartrending decision to have her put down. She had been suffering with arthritis for a long time, and the balance between a quality life & permanent discomfort, had tipped towards the latter. After Lucy was gone, in my grief, and having no idea what I would do with Lucy’s ashes, I agreed to her going for a group cremation. Following this, and trapped in my grief and guilt, I endlessly researched ways that I could have used Lucy’s ashes to create what I felt would have been an appropriate tribute to my mischievous & adorable girl. Whilst I came across many lovely options, there was nothing that I felt would have been right for this unique & loving individual. Late one evening, I suddenly had the idea of creating bespoke wildflower memorial seed balls, using the ashes of our loved ones.
Ashes to Blooms
Within a few months, Ashes to Blooms had really come to life. We now work with bereaved families & combine the ashes of their loved one, whether a friend, family member or beloved pet, with native wildflower seeds & other natural ingredients to create bespoke memorial seed balls, as unique as the one they have lost. Clients can then give these to friends & family to scatter in a special place, and watch their wildflower memorial grow.
Full Circle
After losing my brother, Andrew, in August that year, following a decade-long battle with alcohol addiction, things really came full circle. It was a tremendous honour to be able to create seed balls, alongside my parents, using Andrew’s ashes. We planted his seed balls at our homes, and he is now growing with each of us. Every summer, Andrew’s flowers bloom on my balcony, attracting bees, butterflies & other pollinators, and I love that I can tend to & nurture them, feeling that part of him is with me. My family share photos of our flowers in the family WhatsApp group, and we all want to see how the others’ displays are growing.
The Progress
The business has grown, and I am honoured to work with hundreds of funeral directors across the country, and with whom I have made many new great friends. Through my conversations with my new friends & contacts, however, I realised that I had been ignoring three groups of people; those who have suffered a pet loss, those who cannot afford what we offered, and those who wanted to be able to create something at home, together.
Animal Companions
Given that Ashes to Blooms was wholly inspired by Lucy Rabbit, it seemed unbelievable that I hadn’t seriously thought about creating a product specifically for those who, like me, had suffered the loss of a companion animal. I had received orders from families who had lost dogs, cats & budgies, but had never created a service or product just for them. Therefore, in 2024, I set about creating Pet Ashes to Blooms. Under this new ‘wing’ of the business, I focus specifically on supporting those who has suffered animal loss & offering bespoke wildflower seed ball memorial products, just for them. Now, as a result, whether families have lost a family member, friend or animal companion, I am here to help them create a memorial to their loved one.
Cost & Home
As mentioned, I also realised that I had excluded another large part of the community; both those who would not be able afford our existing products, or who wanted to be able to create their own memorial, at home. Whilst making an order one day, I suddenly had the idea for ‘make-your-own memorial seed ball’ kits, which fit both of the above briefs! So I set about picking out all the elements we would need to include, choosing nature-friendly packaging & creating attractive designs for them. As a result, I can now offer our make-your-own seed balls kits, which contain UK native wildflower seeds, peat-free compost, chilli powder, clay power, a cotton storage bag & a wooden plant marker. Families simply add 50g of the ashes of their loved one, and a little water, to create their unique seed balls. I offer these kits at £19, meaning that they are hopefully affordable to just about everyone, and offer both Ashes to Blooms & Pet Ashes to Blooms versions.
Closing
I am excited for the future, for all the families I am able to help, and for creating new products to help wider & wider groups of people.
About David
David Holmes, a lawyer by profession, is based in Worthing, down on the south coast. He has an absolute passion for animals, rewilding nature and helping people to process grief in new and inclusive ways.
Ashes to Blooms is a member of whiteballoon, The Organisation For Responsible Business, and a supplier member of the NAFD & the AGFD.