Martha Stewart Is Using This Holiday Flower in Spring — And Now I Want Them Everywhere

If there’s one thing that Martha Stewart does best, it’s trendsetting — after all, the 84-year-old lifestyle media maven has been at the forefront of dictating taste in modern American homes since the 1980s. So when the Martha Stewart Living founder speaks up about a new way to make a home look (and feel!) so much better, all of our ears perk up — and this spring, Martha is all about bringing the outdoors in.

Martha’s written more than 100 books on the art of homemaking, and some of her best advice is about growing plants and flowers — especially the precise art of styling live foliage and cut flowers inside beautiful homes.

Right now, just like every other year, Martha is busy harvesting her gardens for spring, but one of her favorite picks this season took me by surprise. 

“I love rotating house plants in and out of the greenhouse all winter long, which means I always have plants in my house,” Martha shared in an interview on behalf of Scott’s Miracle-Gro, where she serves as chief gardening officer. “But right now, I have seven flowering amaryllis on my kitchen table … beautiful, big blooms of white and pink that are all over my kitchen, which just started to bloom a couple of weeks ago. And they look so great.”

If you’re feeling like you’ve only ever seen amaryllis out for the holidays, you’re not alone. It’s true that they’re often associated with Christmas, as they tend to bloom indoors very easily — even in harsh December temperatures. They’re often gifted during this season for this very reason, as their hardiness is a symbol of renewal during a darker season. But their versatility is exactly why Martha chooses to bring amaryllis out months after the holidays are over. 

“Those are kept in my greenhouse all year long — and I choose to bring them into the house when they’re in bloom, as they’re really, really nice,” Martha explains.

Martha knows that not everyone has access to a greenhouse like she does, acknowledging that it isn’t always easy to keep amaryllis blooming beyond winter without one. But she told me that she believes more homes would benefit from the gorgeous bursts of color that amaryllis plants provide. After all, florists and other retailers who sell fresh-cut florals in early spring are dealing with wildly fluctuating temperatures that can easily lead to stunted flowers and plants. Spring frost can spell disaster for early plantings, too.

Fresh amaryllis is much hardier in that regard, and often complements many other timely spring plants and flowers in the best way (think: lilies, daffodils, and roses, another all-time favorite of Martha’s for beautiful centerpieces and more).

I’m getting ready for a refresh in my own space before the first day of spring this week — and I’ve followed in Martha’s footsteps to create a potted amaryllis moment in my own living room. Give this gorgeous plant a second thought for your home this spring; after all, why should Christmas have all the fun?