The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The six flowers Martha Stewart’s head gardener Ryan McCallister describes growing at her Bedford estate are spring bloomers—not a summer-flower list. They include daffodils, alliums, lilacs, peonies, poppies and lupine. Their ways of returning differ: some grow from bulbs or established shrubs, while others rely on self-seeding, and lupine may not bloom well every year.
Why this is a spring-flower list, not a summer one
In his May 1, 2024 Martha Stewart article, McCallister describes the flowers he grows each year as part of a spring garden. He identifies himself as the head gardener at Stewart’s Bedford estate, a 150-acre property where he has worked in that role since 2011. The timing he gives is mostly May; breadseed poppies generally flower in late May and June. Those dates describe the garden in his account, not a universal schedule for every climate.
The six flowers and how they return
| Flower | Planting material | Bloom timing in McCallister’s account | How it persists | Garden role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daffodils | Bulbs planted in fall | Spring | Foliage is left after bloom to replenish the bulb; plants tend to multiply over time. | Recurring spring display |
| Alliums | Bulbs | Spring; exact timing not stated by McCallister | Dried flower heads may remain for texture before the plants are cut down for summer planting. | Ornamental spherical heads; planted along a pergola with camassia |
| Lilacs | Flowering shrubs | Typically May at the Bedford estate | Need a few years to establish, then can flower over years. | Flowers and fragrance |
| Peonies | Herbaceous peonies grow from root clumps; tree peonies are shrubs. | Spring; exact timing not stated by McCallister | Herbaceous types die back in fall; tree peonies remain permanent shrubs and are not pruned back. | A cutting bed for herbaceous peonies and a separate landscape bed for tree peonies |
| Poppies | Oriental poppies are perennials; breadseed types and hybrids are sown from seed or self-seed. | Oriental poppies bloom in May; breadseed types generally bloom in late May and June. | Perennial growth for Oriental poppies; seed and self-seeding for breadseed types and hybrids. | Seasonal flowering display |
| Lupine | Seed, including indoor-started seed | Usually May | A short-lived perennial that self-seeds where conditions suit it; McCallister also starts seed indoors to replenish the planting. | Spring color, with new plants used to refresh the stand |
What to know about each flower
Daffodils: leave the foliage after flowering
Daffodils are bulbs planted in fall for spring bloom. At the Bedford garden, the foliage stays in place after the flowers fade so the bulb can replenish itself for the next year. The plants also tend to multiply over time. Cutting the leaves immediately after bloom would run counter to the repeat-blooming practice McCallister describes.
Alliums: let the heads add texture, then make room
Alliums are ornamental members of the onion family, recognized for their round flower heads. McCallister describes them growing along a pergola among camassia. Their dried heads may be left for texture, then cut down to make room for summer plants such as lilies—a clear example of a spring planting transitioning to the next season.
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Lilacs: allow time for shrubs to establish
Lilacs are medium-to-large flowering shrubs. They typically bloom in May at the Bedford estate, and McCallister notes that they need a few years to establish. Once established, they provide flowers and fragrance over the years, making them a longer-term shrub planting rather than an annual flower display.
Peonies: distinguish herbaceous and tree types
The garden grows both herbaceous and tree peonies. Herbaceous peonies emerge from a root clump and die back in fall. Tree peonies form permanent shrubs and are not pruned back. Stewart’s garden has a bed of peonies for cutting and a separate landscape bed for tree peonies, reflecting their different forms and uses.
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Poppies: perennial plants and seed-grown types
McCallister describes perennial Oriental poppies that bloom in May, as well as breadseed poppies and hybrids grown from seed or allowed to self-seed. Breadseed poppies generally flower later, in late May and June. The two groups therefore differ both in how they are grown and in their reported bloom window.
Lupine: expect variable bloom, and replenish from seed
Lupine usually blooms in May in McCallister’s account, but it is not a dependable annual show: he says good bloom years may occur only every second or third year. He describes it as a short-lived perennial that self-seeds where conditions suit it and also starts seeds indoors to refresh the planting. His advice is: “I generally let them self-seed outside to establish clumps and patches, while also starting them from seed indoors to refresh and replenish the crop.”
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What “year after year” means in practice
The phrase covers several different ways a garden can keep producing flowers. Daffodils multiply and recharge their bulbs after flowering; lilacs establish as shrubs; herbaceous peonies return from root clumps; and breadseed poppies and lupines can renew themselves through seed. These are practices and observations from one garden, not guarantees: bloom dates, persistence and performance depend on local growing conditions, and the source does not present a controlled comparison among the plants.
Quick Recap
- For repeat spring bulbs: plant daffodils in fall and leave their foliage after bloom.
- For long-lived structure and fragrance: plan for lilacs to take a few years to establish.
- For varied forms: choose herbaceous peonies for a plant that dies back seasonally or tree peonies for a permanent shrub form.
- For seed-grown flowers: breadseed poppies and lupines can self-seed, while McCallister also starts lupine seed indoors.
- For dependable expectations: account for lupine’s intermittent strong bloom years rather than expecting a full display every season.
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