Ranunculus. I’ve been smitten with this lovely blossom forever.
It was always my plan to grow ranunculus for spring, but for some reason, I never got around to it. They aren’t like tulips or daffodils where you bury bulbs in the fall with a promise to enjoy a swath of them from the distance each spring. Ranunculus are best enjoyed as cut flowers. Or in pots… up close and personal.
That’s why I flipped head over heels when a local grower brought these beautiful blooms to my neighborhood supermarket. My local store always has flowers… but really there’s rarely anything there that shouts, “Take me home!” When I walked in one afternoon and saw those brown paper wrappings with wee bits of color extending past the kraft wrap I ran over to see what was hiding behind that paper funnel. Oh, my! Tulips and ranunculus!! They were a bit pricey at $10.99… but then I remembered that I needed to feed my spirit as much as I needed to feed my body.
It may seem to some like I was throwing money at the wind, but I cannot tell you how those flowers ministered to my soul. Yes. I said that. Those flowers ministered to me. They were the color I needed. The bit of spring I needed when my view of the oak woods was pretty dismal and gray.
I see ranunculus often as I scroll through Instagram. They fill the pages of magazines I scan in the publications aisle at the one stop shopping stores. And now, in my own local supermarket, they were there…. just for me. Oh… and maybe another 20 women who could not resist their attraction.
There’s a Bible verse that I have often wrestled with… Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
The teaching I have heard regarding that verse is that our one and only focus should be God and when we make HIM our center then He will give us the desires of our hearts which would be (should be) more of Him. And though I truly believe that He needs to be my chief focus, I know that He has also given me eyes that delight in the beauties of His creation and that includes ranunculus.
And so in my mind, these lovely flowers are a gift from the hand of a loving Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. AND He placed them right inside the door of the supermarket so I wouldn’t be able to miss them.
What can top that?
About Ranunculus…
If you don’t know anything about ranunculus, you may have thought that they are a type of rose. In fact, they are affectionately called, “The Rose of Spring.” They certainly look like an old fashioned cabbage rose and sometimes I can’t decide when I’m looking at a bouquet on Pinterest (where I collect beautiful floral arrangements) if it contains roses or ranunculus.
Who would guess that these delicate silky flowers come from a bulb, not a bush?
I discovered the ranunculus is a member of the genus which includes buttercups and nearly 600 other species. It should be no surprise that I’m also a huge fan of buttercups and delight in finding them on my nature walks.
I LOVE garden books and encyclopedias, here’s my affiliate link to some wonderful garden encyclopedias. It’s so nice to have resources like this in hand to pour over for inspiration and learning. That is how I received my horticulture education. Night after night I would steep myself in my garden books, learning botanical names and plant culture. Boring to some… but exciting to me.
Ranunculus grow best in cool spring time temperatures hovering around 55 degrees. They are a bit fussy in that they like well-drained soil and are not fond of heat or sun. If you’re thinking of planting some, you can grow them as perennials in zones 8-10 as long as it gets cool enough for a significant period of time. The rest of us who live in cooler climates are better off growing them as annuals by starting them in pots in late winter.
If you’d like to grow ranunculus, here is my Amazon (affiliate) link to Ranunculus bulbs.
Did you know that ranunculus come in a wide variety of colors? I am most smitten by the pinks, peaches, and pale yellows.
When choosing them as a cut flower, be sure that their buds are a little bit open with color. If the buds have not colored, they will not open further. My home is kept fairly cool around 65-67 degrees and they last more than a week, easily. I change the water in my vase after several days and clip the ends of the flowers to keep them fresh. If there are any that seem to be fading, I’ll toss those and rearrange the bouquet.
I can’t guarantee that you’ll stumble over a bouquet of ranunculus the next time you stop for groceries… but don’t be surprised if that indeed happens!
What do you do to feed your spirit?
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Lovely arrangement–ranunculus are one of my favorite flowers along with peonies. If you like ranunculus, you would love The Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California. I dragged my family there on a trip to San Diego several years ago. Fifty acres of ranunculus are just dazzling.
Oh my goodness! Lisa that would be almost overwhelming (in a good way). I can only imagine your delight. I’ll have to add that to my bucket list! Thanks so much for popping by and sharing about The Flower Fields in Carlsbad.
Oh wow!! I too shall add that to my bucket list!! Oh before Jackson &Perkins quit growing roses, there were fields upon fields and rows of a color next to rows of another color of roses!! My aunt who was visiting was simply thrilled!!! I was so young and simply thought of it as the view at the end of the stop sign leading to the state highway!! But it was a truly breathtaking view that lasted for not weeks but months!!!
Ranunculus are so delicate. I’ve not had good luck with them as a bulb nor as a perennial but I have purchased them at a garden store and enjoyed them in the ground. Businesses plant groupings of them. I also love to pour over gardening books before my injury and so it was especially interesting to read this post!! Thank you for sharing. Your splurge was so worth it. I likevyourvdecotpr too!! Displayed perfectly!!! Love your colors youngot!!!
Oh, Gwen, I can only imagine all those roses!! Now that would be something to see!! I had no idea J&P quit growing roses. THAT makes me sad. (Maybe they moved to another location?) I’m not sure what your growing zone is… but I bet it’s perfect for growing ranunculus… I’d love to see them growing in groups.
My heart is sad that you aren’t able to enjoy your books like you used to.
Thanks for all your kind words… you know how to make me feel loved. {{hugs}}
I did not realize Jackson and Perkins quit selling roses. That is where my mama always bought her new rose bushes when she just had to have a new color. They will be greatly missed.
Sue, I just visited the J & P website and found this… “After a brief period of time in Pleasanton, Calif., the growing operation found a home in California’s San Joaquin Valley, north of Bakersfield. Relocation followed the 1966 acquisition of the company by Harry and David®, the nation’s leading fruit gift company. Roses instantly took to the deep Hesperia loam soil, abundant water supply and the 260-day growing season of Wasco. Under these ideal conditions, Jackson & Perkins cultivates more than 5,000 acres of rose fields. Each year horticulturists bud, grow and harvest more than 10 million plants.” Quite possibly there is another well-known grower that is no longer in the location Gwen has mentioned… or J & P is not longer growing there… but they ARE actively growing and selling beautiful roses.
Ranunculus are one of the most beautiful flowers that God created and I would be thrilled if out grocery store sold them.
Since then, my store has only had them one more time… and yes… I will have another pretty post coming up because I just HAD to take lots of photos and share. 😉 I wish yours would have a sweet surprise for you like that too.
You are blessed, Sandra!