Ranunculus Blend Bulbs

No matter where you live, you can grow these glorious double ranunculus (buttercups)—it's just a question of whether you plant them outdoors or inside. Either way, you will love the tightly wound, crepe-papery petals in bright primary shades. Have fun experimenting with these blooms in the vase, too—they last more than a week and complement most other cut flowers.

These blooms arise on strong, wiry stems, just right for cutting but also brilliant in the sunny to partly shaded garden. The flowers range from semi to fully double, 2 to 4 inches in diameter, and very heavily borne on plants reaching 10 inches high but just 6 inches wide. The ferny foliage makes a nice backdrop to the blooms, held below them and forming a dense rosette.

If you live in Zones 7-10, you can grow ranunculus as a perennial outdoors. It will bloom in early spring from a fall planting of these bulbs, or in early summer from a spring planting. Few sights equal that of a stand of ranunculus in the garden. But beware—this plant is hardy only to about 10°F, so dig up the bulbs if colder temperatures are forecast for the winter.

Everywhere else, grow ranunculus outdoors as an annual or indoors as a gorgeous houseplant. If you choose to put it in a container, know that you can fit about 2 or possibly 3 bulbs into a 10-inch pot. Ranunculus will thrive in any garden conditions except for warm and wet—it is prone to rot, so the soil must be well-drained and the humidity not overwhelming.

To plant, place the bulb "claw" end down, and cover with about 4 times its depth in soil. Keep it watered and fed, and it will grow readily, offering anywhere from a dozen to 20 blooms per bulb. Enjoy this unusual and beautiful flower.