The ranunculus (ra-nun-kew-lus) is a large genus of about 400 plants in the Ranunculaceae – a family that includes the anemone, larkspur, delphinium, hellebore, clematis, monkshood and columbine. The common ranunculus you see in flower shops and magazines is a hybrid commonly known as a Persian buttercup. Most species in the Ranunculaceae family are highly poisonous when ingested. The name Ranunculus comes from Latin and means “little frog”. Mythology says that there was a Persian prince that was so beautiful that everyone loved him and wanted to be him. A modest prince, he could not muster the courage to declare his love for some nymphs..so he died or something and was memorialized in a beautiful flower that grew in swampy areas. [Did you get all that? Because there's going to be a pop quiz.]
One of the pleasures of working with Ranuncula, is the small buds that many stems carry. Snipped and used on their own, these leggy buds help me create layers of texture in a denser arrangement or bridal bouquet. It may behoove you to keep your ranunculus arrangement simple – they can be quite expensive – as much as 4 or 5 dollars a stem for prime flowers. Ah! but so worth it with their infinite paper mache petals and delicate color variations. Three stems could easily hold the center of your table – keep them suspended upright with a small flower frog placed down in a julep cup or small vase. I’ve always liked hydrangea with ranunculus, and this week I made a few arrangements in ball jars by threading ranunculus, peonies and green bells down through the tops of the hydrangea’s large flower head.
Did you know? Ranunculas are, like, so hot right now. Flowers are subject to trends like any industry. And ranunculus have enjoyed the spotlight for some years now, eclipsing the roses, carnations and gladiolias of the 80’s, the sunflowers of the 90’s (need I remind you of Blossom?) and the orchids and exotic (and often unfortunately phallic) flowers that dominated the earlier part of this decade. The past five years have seen a return to what I call “storybook” flowers. Softer, looser, more naturally inspired arrangements. This style stands in stark contrast to the tight, packed “contemporary” look that has been largely relegated to the world of trade shows and large corporate events where flower budgets (until recently) were exorbitant. Now you hear floral designers talk about mimicking nature, following the seasons…letting individual blooms “lead,” and giving stems their “space.”
[psst! help us name sarah's column: we're at a loss for names for this lovely column. sarah and eric have come up with a slew of funny names (root down, kind bud, guns and roses, design sprout, nice stems) but we thought we'd open it up to you guys. any thoughts on what sarah's new column should be? just leave em below...]
