Cultivation of Lilies by Onings America

August 15, 2024 Scott Shepherd

In my 30 years of sourcing flowers, lilies have consistently stood out to me. Their variety, vivid colors, and distinct fragrances have made them a favorite in my work. The range of lilies is remarkable. From vibrant reds and oranges to gentle pinks and creams, their colors add depth and beauty to any arrangement. But what sets lilies apart for me is their fragrance. Each type of Oriental lily has its own scent profile, but if you prefer no fragrance, Asiatic lilies contain a wide range of color providing a vibrant impact while basically being free from scent.

Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting with Henk Onings from Onings America in two insightful episodes. In the first episode, we dove deep into the world of lilies and freesia, exploring their cultivation in detail. To complement our discussion, we’ve added a couple of guides to our blog with this one focusing on lilies.

A huge thank you to Onings America for sharing their expertise in "Cultivation of Lilies" with us. Don’t miss both episodes with Henk—available now on your favorite podcast platform. This guide is a first look at everything you need to know about growing and handling lilies, from setting up your greenhouse to selecting the perfect varieties, and from harvesting to ensuring the best post-harvest care. Whether you're a florist, a cut flower farmer, or simply a lily enthusiast, this resource offers a comprehensive, yet friendly, insight into getting the most out of these stunning blooms.

With expert advice straight from Onings America, this guide will help you elevate your lily game and fully appreciate the splendor these flowers bring to every arrangement. We’re thrilled to share this with you before it appears anywhere else—so let’s get started!

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Thank you for being a part of our community. It was a joy to share Henk Onings' insights on lilies, and I encourage to check out the Step by Step to Growing Freesia. We’re grateful to Onings America for their generosity in providing the "Cultivation of Lilies" guide and for their valuable contributions to our podcast. I hope these resources inspire and assist you in your growing endeavors. Don’t forget to listen to both episodes with Henk on your favorite podcast platform or his guest page.

Your support makes it all possible, and I’m excited to continue this journey with you!

Learn more about Henk Onings

Step by Step Growing Freesia | Onings America

August 8, 2024 Scott Shepherd

FREESIA

Freesia has been a cherished flower in the industry for decades, but it’s mostly been imported or grown for large scale productions. I’m really excited to see more American flower growers starting to cultivate this stunning flower locally. After chatting with Henk Onings from Onings America, I’m even more thrilled about the new freesia varieties and the effort to make them more available to our local growers. Henk kindly shared a step-by-step guide for growing freesia that hasn’t posted on their website yet so I am delighted to share it with you here. This guide is packed with helpful tips and insights to help American flower farmers grow beautiful, high-quality freesia for our local florists and wedding professionals.

Freesia Kas

Freesia Starlight Biscaya

Freesia Strawberry Swirl

Freesia Lemon Grove

Freesia Sandra

I encourage all flower farmers to give freesia a try. Adding new varieties of flowers to our floral community is essential for keeping our clients engaged and excited about new possibilities and the next trend of beauty. Freesia, with its stunning colors and delightful fragrance, is a fantastic addition that can set your offerings apart. By embracing the cultivation of freesia, we can bring more diversity and beauty to our local markets, captivating customers, and elevating our floral industry.

Learn more about Henk Onings

Images provided by Onings America

A Fresh Approach to Outdoor Spaces

October 28, 2021 Scott Shepherd

Although the dreary cold days of winter may be approaching for much of the country and preparations for the holidays are being added to the to-do list, outdoor activities and gatherings have become an essential part of our well-being. Reimagining an outdoor space to be more than just patio furniture and a few planters has become almost important as preparing our indoor sanctuaries. We have definitely witnessed an ‘outdoor’ boom in the last couple of years as many weddings, events, and family gatherings embrace the beauty of our natural surroundings and accentuate them for one’s perfect event.

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The Creative Team at Accent Decor analyzes trends around the world and continues to be the go-to-source for what’s new, current and trending. The multiple collections include purposefully designed pieces for home as well as pieces for small and large scale events, decorative spaces, and so much more. The Great Outdoors is a beautiful canvas awaiting the artistic creations from this amazing industry.

Featured below are images from the Accent Decor Outdoor Collection for 2022 but with an occasional image from the Accent Decor Catalog 2021. Click images for more details. Be sure to take note of the icons that are extremely helpful while browsing the Outdoor Collection.

The beautiful backdrop of the outdoors provided a much needed destination for gatherings. The creative genius behind planning events is only limited by lack of imagination and ingenuity. The last few years, we have seen boundaries being pushed like never before and outcomes have been nothing short of magical.

Accent Decor has designed pieces to be not only functional but versatile, and many are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Archways, Wall Stands, Gates, and Wall Hangings create ideal canvases for inviting entryways and stunning backdrops. With an assortment of metals and wood grain options, these pieces are a must for any collection.

Radiant Stand

Arbor Gateway

Harlequin Wall Stand

Lighting, Lighting, Lighting…..We all know the importance and necessity of fabulous lighting. I believe the vibe of any space is effected by lighting and something as simple as a small votive flickering on a workspace desk can bring a sense of calm to a stressful day in the office. Accent Decor has an extensive collection of lanterns, votives, candleholders, candelabras, and candles for creating the desired ambience for the home, your own serene garden setting, and options for your business.

Marigold Lantern

Gene Lantern

Plume Vase

Zephyr Lantern

Need it Now: Shop In stock and Ready to Ship Products

Anyone who knows me is well aware of how much I love plants. Accent Decor designs functional yet stylish vessels to not only serve as container vessels but are true design pieces for creating the perfect greenspace in any setting. Working from home and spending more time indoors only fortifies my love of having fresh greenery in the home. Not only for its obvious beauty but also as a necessity for cleansing the air and nurturing the environment.

Vessels for tabletops to large troughs for a variety of plant material, Accent Decor designs for all spaces and aesthetics. Adding height to any plant is not a problem with the addition of stands. The new collection also has a great selection of textures, materials, and colors that are classic and trendy yet still remain functional.

Accent Decor

2022 Outdoor And Garden Catalog

Wedding and Events Collection

Santorini Vase | Grand Vela | TTahiti Bowl | Blanc Column

With the anticipation of a new move, I am looking forward to creating a relaxing outdoor space to enjoy the beautiful backdrop of the Tennessee mountains and precious time with my family.

Scott Shepherd

Explore and Shop the amazing collections of Accent Decor through their Virtual Showroom or peruse the pages of the Accent Decor Catalog and Trendbooks. With expanded and extended customer support the team at Accent Decor is available to answer your questions!

Create your account today and be inspired!

Romantic Fritillaria

April 5, 2020 Scott Shepherd

Design by Sarah Winward, Photograph by Kate Osborne

With the beginning of Spring, there are so many flowers that stir my soul and speak to my heart. I love tulips, lilacs, hyacinths, daffodils, my favorite hellebores, ranunculus; the list goes on and on but Fritillaria has awakened a new interest.

With so many events and weddings being cancelled or postponed, I wanted to highlight a flower that has evoked so much happiness and conversation within the floral community.

Floral designers create that additional touch of magic by tucking these whimisical blooms in their bridal bouquets or wedding designs. I’m not sure there is any flower that can cause goose bumps and chills like the family of Fritillaria among flower enthusiasts.

In this blog post, I want to introduce you to this wonderful bell-shaped flower sure to add personality to any design with its dripping and effortless movement. I hope to brighten your day and encourage you to keep feeding your love of flowers.

Fritillaria meleagris ‘Alba"‘ Image from Vanengelen

This video was posted about 4 weeks ago. Hilverda De Boer visited Gia Flowers; grower of Fritillaria. More about Hilverda De Boer: - website: www.hilverdadeboer.nl - facebook: www.facebook.com/hilve...

Fritillaria persica growing in the field at GIA Flowers.

Fritillaria imperial ‘Rubra Star’ in the field from GIA Flowers

The Imperial Fritillaria are among the largest of the species and to me, the most majestic of them all. This amazing flower exudes elegance and charm as it flourishes in a garden or flaunts its beauty in a floral design.

Harvested Fritillaria imperial ‘Lutea’ at GIA Flowers

GIA Flowers one of the only growers of this special variety. Fritillaria Radeana

The amazing Fritillaria Radeana may not be as well known, but it is truly beautiful. I love its bright green flower that transitions into white.

The image to the left is from Emily Avenson of Fleuropean. Emily shares a love for this amazing family of flowers. What does this piece speak to you? I feel a sense of calm when I look at this image. My busy thoughts seem to melt away and bring me back to focus with a sense of peace. Thank you Emily, for sharing your gorgeous image. The Fritillaria featured in this image is the F. Radeana.

Fritillaria ‘michailovskyi’ held by Susan Mcleary and grown by @marillafieldandflora

Fritillaria ‘Sewerzowii’ from Gia flowers

Fritillaria Uva vilpis in the field from GIA Flowers

Fritillaria elessi is a smaller variety that maintains its darker coloring. Image from Gardenia

Whatever your favorite variety, Fritillaria is an extraordinary family of flowers, and I love the anticipation of its spring arrival. My hope is that I’ve stirred your imagination and nourished your love for the fritillaria family. If you haven’t discovered this charming flower, I encourage you to experiment with its versatility and uniqueness. Some varities are more fragrant than others, and you can expect the larger varieties to have an unusual scent, but this flower as you see below always finds itself as the center of attention.

I have to thank everyone that shared their images for this post. I know you will fall in love with this ballerina of the floral world and look forward to its season for years to come.

Another amazing image by Emily Avenson of Fleuropean. Fritillaria imperialis amazingly partners with Daffodils to welcome the Spring season.

Wedding Bouquet Inspiration for 2020

February 2, 2020 Scott Shepherd

Our amazing guests create incredible floral masterpieces and are so kind to share their images and inspirations, we have picked a few to showcase. Trending colors and designs, new trends on the horizon, timeless classics and a wide assortment of materials are perfect inspirations for 2020.

Gabriela Salazar

Gabriela Salazar has included the beautiful trending colors of pale golds and blushes. This trend seems to be gaining momentum. The use of dried product is the perfect compliment to Gabriela’s use of color.

Isha Foss

With the Pantone Color being Classic Blue, there will be requests for blue accents in our weddings. Isha has created a beautiful bouquet with a hint of light blue that blends perfectly with the blue/green color of eucalyptus. As one of our favorite colors, We are looking forward to this latest Pantone inspiration and are eagerly awaiting fabulous floral creations for 2020.

Tobey Nelson

I love the elegance of this bouquet showcasing the companionship between pale blushes and assorted pinks. The stars of this bouquet are the fabulous roses from Alexandra Farms. Bridal Piano (Pinker) and Mariatheresia (Blush) blend perfectly with the astilbe, sweet peas, lambs ear, and butterfly ranunculus.

Holly Carlisle

Holly has a simple love for nature and bringing unconventional flowers into her floral pieces. The use of grasses, crape myrtle seeded pods, and fuschia blooms blend beautifully with the ruffle look of the peonies, soft roses, and the airiness of the scabiosa. Letting nature speak to you and incorporating these inspirations into your designs truly makes it your own.

Alicia Schwede

The white bridal bouquet is a trend that is rooted in tradition and truly is a classic. Garden Roses are another trend that has gained momentum and with increased availability and variety, we believe this trend is here to stay. In this classic bouquet, Alicia used the white rose, POLO. This is considered a traditional rose that opens with the garden rose shape and is a perfect substitute. It does take some time to open to its full potential to process according to your needs.

Amy Balsters

Deep moody colors continue to inspire us no matter the time of year. It’s fun to play with this color palette and make it your own by taking it in the direction that works for you and your client. So soak in these wonderful rich tones and assorted textures.

Florals by Julio Freitas

Florals by Rick Davis of Amaryllis Floral and Event Design

Florals by Andrea Gagnon

We hope you’ve enjoyed these amazing images from our talented guests. With so many possible styles, plethora of colors, and wide variety of flowers your sources of inspiration are endless.