Question
Bought a book that says florists use tomato cages to make arrangements for a vase on a grave.  I've seen so many over the years - they look like a xmas tree about 28-20 inches tall and all they have are large silk flowers.

Can you explain all this to me.  I am also reading about using chicken wire but don't have the foggiest on how to go about it.

Answer
This isn't something I've seen, but it would certainly work if that's what you're looking for.
I imagine the tomato cages are inverted so it looks more like a topiary tree. Then you are free to cover the cage with vines of greenery, which you can wire on to cover the surface.  When you are satisfied with the coverage, you can either hot glue or wire larger flowers to the surface.
The chicken wire could also be used in conjunction with the cage so you have more surface to help hold your flowers on..In that case you would wrap it around the cage and wire it every so often to secure it. Trim or bend loose edges and smooth into a cone shape.(be sure you use tin snips or wire cutters, not scissors) Then cover with your artificial greens and flowers. I would add some bamboo sticks that you could poke through the tree into the ground, to keep it from blowing over. I hope this helps you visualize how it might work. Please feel free to ask if you have more questions.
Best of Luck
Peggy