The Best Flowers to Buy for Remembrance Day — With Local Ontario Events & History

There’s this gentle hush that comes over Ontario every November. Streets slow, people pause, red poppies show up again. On November 11, at 11 a.m., there’s that two-minute silence, a shared moment. For many of us, it’s a small ritual: remembering those who served, thinking about sacrifice, and saying thanks in whatever way we can.

One way to remember is with flowers. They’re quiet, beautiful, and they seem to hold emotion in their petals. So here’s a conversational, real talk guide to the best flowers for Remembrance Day that you can buy, plus local events around Oshawa/Bowmanville, some history, and why this all matters to us here in Durham Region.

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A Bit of History

The original armistice that ended World War I came into effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, hence that timing for silence.

Canada first observed “Armistice Day,” and in 1931, Canada’s Parliament fixed November 11 as the official Remembrance Day.

We remember not only the fallen from WWI and WWII, but also those from Korea, peacekeeping missions, and modern service.

In Clarington, there are numerous streets and schools that are named after veterans. Bowmanville has connections to local soldiers whose names are on memorials. (Clarington posts this in their “Remembering Clarington’s War Heroes”)

What’s Happening Locally (Oshawa, Bowmanville & Durham Region)

If you want to be there, to show presence, here are a few events to watch for:

On November 11, 2025, the Royal Canadian Legion (Branches 43 & 637) will host a parade and ceremony. It begins around 10:25 a.m. and leads to a service at Memorial Park (110 Simcoe St. S.).

In Bowmanville, a parade and service will take place; the parade departs the Legion around 10:30 a.m. toward the cenotaph at Town Hall / Veterans’ Square (40 Temperance St.). (source Durham Radio News)

And if you can’t make it to a ceremony, there are still ways to honour the day from home. You can send flowers to a loved one who served or have them placed at a local monument. Flower delivery in Bowmanville, Ontario or ordering flowers online in Oshawa makes it simple, but still deeply meaningful.

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The Best Flowers for Remembrance Day

Alright, now the heart of it: which blooms carry what meaning? And how to make something from the heart.

Honestly, when it comes to flowers for Remembrance Day, there isn’t one “perfect” kind. It’s more about what feels right to you. Some people go straight for poppies and fair enough, they’re the symbol everyone knows. But sometimes, it’s the mix of blooms that makes it personal.

Let’s start with the obvious one: poppies. You can’t really talk about Remembrance Day without them. That red stands out against the November gray like a heartbeat. Whether it’s a real flower or one of those little fabric ones, it carries weight. You don’t need to say much else when you have a poppy.

Then there are roses. I think red roses on Remembrance Day feel different than they do on Valentine’s. They’re not about romance here, they’re about love of another kind. Respect. Sacrifice. Gratitude. And if you go for white roses, they bring this quiet stillness, like a moment of peace after a long storm.

Lilies always make me pause too. There’s something very gentle about them. They remind of church ceremonies, calm, hopeful, and sacred without trying to be. Seeing lilies in a Remembrance bouquet, it almost feels like they’re glowing a little in their own way.

Now, chrysanthemums, they’re underrated. Big, full flowers that seem to hold emotion in their petals. In a lot of places, they’re known as flowers of remembrance. They’ve got that warmth to them, like they’re giving someone a soft hug.

And carnations, those are for the quiet, steady kind of admiration. Red carnations for respect, white ones for innocence and purity. They’re the kind of flowers that last a while too, which feels fitting, doesn’t it? Like they’re hanging on a little longer to honour the ones who can’t be here.

If you want something ready-made that already feels like the month of November, soft, warm, a bit nostalgic, the “November Memories” arrangement from Apple Blossom Flowers really fits. It’s not overdone. Just beautiful in a natural, quiet sort of way. The kind of bouquet you’d place beside a framed photo or bring to a small ceremony without having to say anything else.

Tips for Putting Together Something That Feels Right

Bringing It All Together

When all the ceremonies are done and the last note of the bugle fades, there’s this soft stillness that lingers. Maybe it’s pride. Maybe it’s sorrow. Maybe it’s both — that quiet space where gratitude lives.

Remembrance Day isn’t just history. It’s personal. Its stories passed down at the dinner table, names etched in stone, and faces we still see in black-and-white photos. It’s the freedom to walk our streets, laugh with friends, chase dreams, all because someone, somewhere, stood up when it mattered most.

Regardless of whether you stand at the cenotaph in Bowmanville, or watch the parade pass in Oshawa, or simply put up a bunch of flowers on a windowsill at home, know that it has a meaning. Those flowers make our speech where words hinder.

This November, may every petal, every poppy, every small act of remembrance remind us of the courage and kindness that built the world we live in.

Lest we forget. ❤️

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