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

I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Liz Schmidt of Schreiner’s Iris Gardens this past week. I think the family of stunning bearded iris has long been a garden favorite, but I’m ecstatic to see the demand for cut flowers from this family of blooms gaining in popularity. The family we’re talking about is not any ordinary iris but Iris germanica, the grand taller more statuesque member of the Iris family.

Several years ago when looking for new varieties to plant, I found a subgroup within this family of rebloomers! Yes it’s true, you heard that right, rebloomers!! For quite some time, breeders especially at Schreiner’s have been trying to create new hybrids that exhibit this characteristic consistently. One of the requirements for these magnificent beauties is a longer growing season. Many northern places can’t achieve this second flowering due to their earlier winters and early frosts. Depending on your location hovering around these northern areas a variety might be possible but may take a few years to reach that full potential.

I’m happy to share my interview with Liz but there is more! When we finished our chat, she was gracious to share her top favorites for their dependability of blooming in the spring then again in the fall. These varieties aren’t listed in any particular order, it’s just wonderful that they made the list plus we’ve included a couple of extras for fun.

August Treat

Intermediate Bearded Iris

Standards blue-lavender; Falls very pale blue-lavender; beards blue. With a height of 20in., and no fragrance, August Treat is a welcome to any garden, and its frilly petals are pure delight. Originator: J. Terry Aitken. Year: 2012. Bloom Season: Mid Rebloom: Yes

Best Bet

Tall Bearded Iris

Light wisteria blue-violet standards sharply contrast the deep hyacinth blue-violet falls in this floriferous bitone. It often produces two to three stems per plant early in the bloom season and then tends to bloom again in the fall. This child of Titan's Glory combines the vigorous growth habits and flower size of its parent with its own distinctive color pattern.

Cantina

Tall Bearded Iris

A delectable blue wash at the centers of the falls lends a mellifluous bitone effect to these large reddish violet flowers. The unusual color pattern and heavy ruffling accentuates the distinctive coloring of the falls. Cantina is a dependable August rebloomer for us in Oregon.

Champagne Elegance

Tall Bearded Iris

Connoisseurs of fine Iris recognize this delicately shaded apricot amoena as one of the best. Its near-white standards are classically arched while its ruffled falls present a gentle blending of buff, apricot and peach. A prolific bloomer, Champagne Elegance produces 7-10 buds per stem and consistently reblooms in late summer. Sweet orange blossom fragrance.

Elainealope

Tall Bearded Iris

Splashes and splotches of reddish purple randomly pepper Elainealope's tailored light lavender petals. In addition to its unique broken color, this child of Maria Tormena X Master Touch has a delightfully sweet fragrance, produces multiple stems per rhizome and reblooms in the summer.

Mother Earth

Tall Bearded Iris

Mother Earth's large flowers possess gently undulating ruffles. The lavender falls pale at their centers and are touched with beige shoulders. The ivory standards have a hint of lavender at their bases. Stalks are tall, strong and well-branched, averaging 9 buds.Reblooming variety.

Pure As Gold

Tall Bearded Iris

Reliable rebloom and strong growth are the hallmarks of this deep golden yellow. Exquisite ruffling graces the edges of Pure As Gold's well-formed flowers. One of the most consistent rebloomers each summer.

Sugar Blues

Tall Bearded Iris

This deep wisteria blue self is well known for its consistent reblooming habit even in the colder climates. As another bonus, Sugar Blues has a pronounced sweet fragrance. The tailored flowers have modern appearance. Excellent rebloomer

Vintage Charm

Tall Bearded Iris

Vintage Charm’s warm colors - sunshine yellow and plum red - stimulate. “Look at me!” they implore. Yes, it’s the familiar red and yellow variegata updated to 2018. Conspicuous buff undersides of the falls, along with the undulating border, both add dimension and reply, “I hope it’s not rude to stare.” As illustrated in our photo, balance and proportion are satisfying. The contrast between the falls and standards is sharp. Falls boldly flare. Vintage Charm flaunts 2-3 branched stems, each displaying 8 big flowers.

Summer Olympics

Tall Bearded Iris

We recommend Summer Olympics on the strength of its outstanding bloom habits. These ruffled lime yellow flowers are among the first to bloom in the spring, then they dependably bloom again throughout the summer! See how the centers of the falls pale to white around the self beards creating a yellow bitone effect. Slight sweet fragrance.

Rosalie Figge

Tall Bearded Iris

This dark reddish violet self, a child of Dyke's Medallist Titan's Glory, offers great growth and bloom habits. Its moderately sized flowers have a slight ruffle and are completely saturated in dark reddish purple. Enjoy their sweet fragrance in the spring and then again in the summer and fall.

Mariposa Autumn

Tall Bearded Iris

This lightly ruffled rosy violet plicata's pedigree (Jesse's Song X Earl of Essex) assures us of very good vigor, floriferousness and strong rebloom. Mariposa Autumn has been recognized for these outstanding attributes.

What excites me about these beautiful irises is their faces and the opportunity to enjoy two cutting seasons depending on your location. So many perennials bloom once and are finished for the year, but these reblooming beauties provide stunning blooms again in the fall. I hope you’ll consider growing these if you’re a cut flower grower.

I want to thank the team at Schreiner’s for providing these fabulous images and descriptions of these varieties. We’ve included the links to all of the Schreiner’s resources for your convenience. Be sure to place your orders early because I’m sure these will sell out fast.

Schreiner's Iris Gardens

Online Catalog

How to Grow and Care for Iris