A tradition that runs deep here
Long before it was a federal holiday, many families in Oklahoma and the South called it Decoration Day. They gathered at small country cemeteries to clean the graves, set out flowers and share a meal. Some rural cemeteries around Muskogee County still hold their own decoration days, often on a Sunday in May.
Memorial Day weekend is also the busiest time at Fort Gibson National Cemetery. According to the VA's posted rules, all flowers are allowed there from the Thursday before Memorial Day through the first Monday in June. Glass, wire and items fixed to headstones are not.
Outdoor flowers in late May face real heat. Carnations, mums and other sturdy flowers tend to last longer than delicate ones. Ask the florist for a design made for the cemetery, and check the weather forecast (opens in a new tab) before you go.