The Art of Gathering

Finding Fall at Oak & Lily

Oak & Lily is Winnipeg’s boutique floral studio where locally grown flowers, thoughtful design, and community come together.

It’s the autumn season and the air feels different. The evenings are arriving a little earlier; the mornings are carrying a hint of crispness; and after the long, sun-filled days of summer, we are settling back into routine.

It is a season of transition, but also a season of gathering. Gathering around the table. Gathering with friends. Gathering flowers from the garden. Gathering ourselves after the beautiful busyness of summer. 

At Oak & Lily, we embrace autumn by celebrating Manitoba’s flowers. Dahlias spill generously into buckets, zinnias bring colour, cosmos dance delicately among the grasses, celosia and lisianthus add their own layers of texture and warmth. 

These are flowers that feel like Manitoba. 

They have spent the summer growing under our prairie skies, tended by local farmers who know their fields intimately. By the time they arrive at Oak & Lily, they carry a little piece of the season, the warmth of summer, the richness of the earth, and the promise that fall is just around the corner. 

There is something particularly meaningful about flowers grown close to home. Supporting local growers means supporting the families and farms behind each stem, while enjoying blooms that are fresh, seasonal, and beautifully connected to where we live. 

And perhaps that is what we love most about autumn: the reminder to notice what is here. 

We spend so much of summer looking outward – to the lake, the cottage, the campground, the next adventure – then autumn arrives and gently turns our attention home: 

Home to familiar routines. Home to our favourite people. Home to the little things that make an ordinary day feel special. 

We have always believed flowers can be part of those moments. A few stems beside the kitchen sink. A bouquet on the dining table before friends arrive. Flowers tucked into a favourite vase simply because it’s Tuesday. 

Beauty doesn’t always need an occasion. Inside the shop, you’ll find pieces chosen with that same feeling in mind. Thoughtful finds from local makers and small Canadian businesses, handmade ceramics, home décor, garden-inspired treasures, self-care treats, and little things that make a home feel more like your own. 

They are the kinds of things you might stumble upon while wandering, something you didn’t know you were looking for until you found it. 

As the pace of the season changes, we find ourselves wanting to create more spaces to gather.

Our floral workshops have become some of our favourite evenings at Oak & Lily. Friends around a table. Coworkers stepping away from the everyday. Family members creating something together. Flowers scattered across the workspace, conversation flowing, and everyone leaving with something they made with their own hands.

There is a quiet joy in slowing down long enough to create.

For groups of six or more, our private floral workshops can be hosted here in the shop or brought to your home or chosen venue. We provide the flowers, vessels, tools, and everything you need to create a beautiful seasonal arrangement. All you need to bring is your favourite people.

And for those who want to carry a little of that seasonal feeling with them throughout the year, our flower subscription offers a bouquet each month, beginning at $65. A small ritual to look forward to. A fresh reminder that every season has its own beauty.

Because perhaps that is what flowers teach us best:

Nothing stays the same. The blooms change. The light changes. We change… and there is something beautiful about embracing that rather than rushing past it.

So, as autumn settles in, we invite you to slow down with us. Come wander through the shop. Take in the flowers while they are at their seasonal peak. Discover something made by a local maker. Gather a few stems for your own kitchen table. Join us for a workshop. Bring a friend. Stay awhile. Let summer linger just a little longer in the flowers, while making room for everything beautiful that fall has yet to bring.

At Oak & Lily, we think the changing of seasons is something worth celebrating... and favourite way to begin.

With love, Jess & Ellie