Commission cemeteries are distinctive in treating floriculture as an integral part of the cemetery design . Originally , the horticultural concept was to create an environment where visitors could experience a sense of peace in a setting , in contrast to traditionally bleak graveyards . Recommendations given by Arthur William Hill , the Assistant Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew enabled the Commission to develop cemetery layouts and architectural structures that took into account the placement of suitable plant life . Combining structural and horticultural elements was not unfamiliar to the Commission 's architects . Sir Edwin Lutyens furthered his long @-@ standing working relationship with horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll , whose devotion to traditional cottage garden plants and roses greatly influenced the appearance of the cemeteries . Where possible , indigenous plants were utilised to enhance sentimental associations with the gardens of home .