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...]
162 Comments
How did you get Peonies in the dead of winter???? Sorry, I know this is supposed to be about the Rununculus, but I HAD to ask.
oh my goodness, all of their names are amazing! Kind bud? I am giggling pretty hard over here!
flowers for grins
Two ideas: Design in Bloom or Spruce & Sprout
Flowers are always a great way to add color and warmth to the winter months. These arrangements are gorgeous!
what about “growth spurt?”
I’m so happy to see that Sarah of Saipua is a guest blogger on D*S! I happened upon her blog a few months ago, and discovered a former florist’s wonderland; her photos are beautiful, her designs are incredible, and her banter is witty. I propose simply “Bloom” for Sarah’s ‘storybook’ feature.
I wish I could have flowers like that all the time in my home. I thought the name “Petal Pusher” sounded a little cheeky.
I have always swooned at the site of ranunculus… perfection!
How about *petals* for a column name… ?
Bloomin’ Witty
Bloom&Wit
Red Hook Grown
Strange and Beautiful
Out of the Vase, Off the Cuff
Fresh Cuts
I think Martha Stewart Weddings mag is responsible for their popularity. That’s where I first noticed them and then I noticed them in stores but they have a very short growing season and don’t like the sun or hot weather. Same w anemones. They are my favourite flower.
Hands down my favorite flower of all time. Stupid question: what’s a flower frog?
I don’t have a name suggestion (i’m so bad at titles) but this is a great column! I know little about flowers, so I love the mythology and back stories. Keep it coming!
Brooke, I like your suggestions! I think “Fresh Cuts” is cute!
Ranunculas are one of the most beautiful flowers around. They are just so romantic and truly make a table more elegant!
What about The Simple Stem for the column name?
I liked Erica’s “Petal Pusher” idea. Thats cute.
Bloom Street?
(in contrast to what I am looking at now; Snow Bank!)
Petal Parley
Riot Fleur
Petal Posse
loving the new guest column…the photos brought great cheer to my gloomy winter day. possible column titles:
the vine and posy
floret and friends
blossom girl
fiore
the fresh petal
(by the way, there’s a small typo in the first sentence of sarah’s bio…though you’d like to know.)
loving the new guest column…the photos brought great cheer to my gloomy winter day. possible column titles:
the vine and posy
floret and friends
blossom girl
fiore
the fresh petal
(by the way, there’s a small typo in the first sentence of sarah’s bio…thought you’d like to know.)
Bloom Bloom Room
this is so perfect for a blah winter day! i like that this column is on thursdays–it makes me think i can get through the next two days! seriously–kind bud is hilarious.
I like the quirky element of “petal pusher” or “bloomers”. “Storybook” is such an apt word to describe these gorgeous flowers. How very dreamy.
sarah’s garden
Love ‘Bloomers’!
budding designer
hothouse
stems & style
Huh, I don’t get the joke of “kind bud”. Sorry to be dumb but can someone explain?
Lovely!
I second ‘The Simple Stem’ and ‘The Fresh Petal’ :)
BLOOM!
ann-
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kind+bud
flower power
Love this new column. I have a few names to add to the list:
Best Buds
What’s Blooming?
A Floral Fete
Ranunculas rock! As for a name…bloomin’ bits? bloomin’ bytes? stemming style?stems + style? floral flourish?
Ranunculas Rock! As for a name…bloomin’ bits? bloomin’ bytes? stemming style? style + stems? floral flourish?
design bud
Fresh Cuts is great.
Or, how about Blooming (or bloomin’) Genius?
Stem Sells
Fleur du Jour
Petal to the Metal
Strike a Posy
The Dirt
Thorny Issues
Wild Bunch
When I married my husband last March, we decided to skip all the wedding stuff and go to JOP. I did buy a bouquet b/c I do love flowers and store just happened to have scarlet ranunculas at a crazy sale price that I had mixed with white tulips. Both are my fav flowers and for some odd reason the Kroger stores in Dallas sell all sorts of gorgeous flowers at only five-six dollars a bouquet.
Bloom Bloom Room is cute!
a newbee to your blog here…and enjoying it. I can’t resist suggesting a name: Simply Nature
how about “in the garden”?
as opposed to in the kitchen with…
I have a couple of name suggestions (though I like some of the others too!):
Fresh Pick
New Blooms
Someone got mine already but I love it
“Fleur du jour”
or “Flowers Talk”
has “bloomsbury” come up yet? if not, well, i say bloomsbury!
m in austin beat me to the punch….
in the garden with…
ha ha ha
I absolutely adore ranunculus, but have never ever seen the stunning, deep-hued yellow with purple edges! Oh my, I’m in love.
Not feeling particularly inspired in coming up with a name at the moment, but I’ll marinate in it awhile and get back to you. ;-)
Grow!
Noble Stock
With a Spade…
Untrimm’d
Blossom’s Yeild
Now that’s some Green!!
Just a few i thought of….
simply exquisite florals by the way!! Ranunculas is a personal fav….
How ’bout: Flowering Frogs
1. in my bloomers
2. rose report
3. fête-è-tête
my sis and i were going to name the arrangement side of our business – “phlowers with a p.h.” cuz they are soo cool like that. but we didn’t, so you can have it :)
I like Bloomers, Bloomies, Kind Bud (is funny but maybe not quite right for this audience), and Buds of Wisdom.
botanique
how about ‘flourish’ or ‘root + branch’?
‘Buds & Bulbs’
‘Your Best Bud’ (*snort*)
‘Stems for Life’
…I give up.
I like ‘Design Sprout’, actually!
Beauteous! In regards to naming the column, how about “Petal Pusher?”
I really love the way renonculus seem so fresh and modern.
I vote for “Fresh cuts” and “Bloom”.
By the way, that column is both informative and funny. Love it !
How about….
I’ve Blossomed
Late Bloomer
Wallflower
I think “Bloom My Mind”
these are great you guys. i love petal pusher and late bloomer. i wonder what sarah will pick… ;)
I like the Bloom Bloom Room
sounds frisky
or ashley’s idea
flower power
that’s what it’s all about
bosom buds!
I’m throwing my hat in the “Nice Stems” ring. Petal Pusher is pretty cute too. Good stuff..
Oh, I do love Stacey’s idea: “flourish!” It’s almost like a command. :)
Dig It.
Twigs and Sprigs
Green Spot
Hort & Culture
Plant and Plow
Bloominista
love it, keep up the great work!
Petal Page(s)
Flower Talk
Bud Buzz
Just Picked
ribbons and roses
i think “flourish” “nice stems” and “petal pusher” are great…
i’ll add “in bloom” and “budding genius” to the mix
blumen
fitas y flores
flowers made simple
ribbons and nosegays
storybook flowers (per your description)
boekat
blooms of happiness
how about sarah’s flowers or flowertalk?
petal perfect
Here it is…the winning entry for dear miss sarah…
FLEUR DE PLUME – like nom de plume
get it?!? flower, french, writing – what more does one really want in a name?
budding ideas?
Ranunculas. My favorite. They were my wedding flowers. A big tight bouquet of deep reds and oranges wrapped in a banana leaf. It was stunning.
Does somebody know the name of the pink ranunculus with the green center? I have been searching and searching for bulbs and can’t find them. I contacted the most popular farm in the country (won’t mention any names) for ranunculus and they don’t even know. Please help!!!!!
I’m not sure if my previous comment went through, but I was wondering if anyone knows the name of the pink ranunculus with green center? I’ve been through the mill trying to find this bit of info out, without any luck. I’d like to order bulbs! Thank you :)
i love caroline’s suggestion of “budding genius,” as well as “late bloomer.” no bright ideas on my part, but i wanted to say that sarah’s floral photographs are some of the most beautiful i’ve ever seen! amazing!
bloom bloom bloom / let’s go back to my room / where we can do it all night / and fill that vase right.
sorry.
bloom your room
i *heart* ranunculus. thanks for sharing.
PETAL PUSHER!!
My ideas are:
designsprout
the green thumb
branching out
I like the Simple Stem, Design Sprout or Twigs and Sprigs!
Info about flower frogs can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/cnfebd
what caroline said…”in bloom” or “design sprout”
I think I like Bloom the best.
Simple and perfect.
I’m a fan of Design Sprouts.
“Spring Eternal”
After all, that’s what it’s like reading about flowers all year…
I adore ranunculus. Once a checker at my favorite market handed me a huge bouquet of burgundy, almost black, ranunculus because he said I could tell I was having a rough day. Lovely!
Spongeflower
whoopsy! pulled the trigger too soon – OR:
flowers for no reason…
the dirt
i like ‘fresh cuts’, for sure. or how about design*bloom? i’m not sure if i read that in the comments or came up with it myself. :)
Stem Fatale
Weeder’s Digest
Dishing the Dirt
My FAVORITE flower!!!!! I carried them as my bouquet at my wedding!
So many fantastic name ideas! This was a really fun idea to take reader suggestions. Here are mine.
1) fleurophile
2) design*thumb
(with or without the asterisk, if you prefer…I like the thumb / sponge similar sound)
3) petal files
(OK, OK, I aplogize for the possibly creepy play on words…but I find it kind of amusing!)
fleur de plume and petal pusher {as suggested above}
and i have:
pick a posey
a pocket full of posies
sarah in bloom
bloom & grow
design in flower
darling buds
that’s all i got…
good luck Sarah!!
I can’t think of a proper name, but today’s photographs just make me want to go to a florist shop right now. Awesome!
Botanique, as proposed by Dragonly is nice. Oh, “Dragonfly” woulb be nice too!
And “Floriography” could add a Victorian touch to the column…
The perfect compliment to your blog. Stunning. I haven’t read the other suggestions but here are mine:
In bloom with Sarah
Sarah in Bloom
nature´s cosy natural
cosy nature
Blooming Marvelous
I love all these names everyone has come up with, good luck deciding on the best one! About ranunculus flowers…..no wonder they are so expensive they are impossible to grow. I have tried and failed and so have some of my friends so you can’t say I didn’t warn all of you. If you know of a secret to success please share.
How about “Budding Thoughts”?
I love the arrangements!
i like:
dig it
nice stems
I vote for ‘nice stems’
great new addition!
suggestion: perennial design
growth spurt is good.
budding thoughts is too.
I really dislike most of the others.
did anyone say “making arrangements”?
great ideas- love fleur de plume…what about floral oasis?
“Petal Pusher” is perfect!
(:
I like design in bloom too, though it’s not as cheeky.
haha, ‘kind bud’ and ‘nice stems’ are perfect!
how’s about: “Earnest Sown”
:)
WOW!! These arrangments are so victorian and inspirational…:)
I love the back stories that Sarah provides, thus, I suggest …
Petals ‘n Prose
I’m with Petal Pusher. D*Stemmed may be cute, but a bit morbid for the flora….
I ‘m keen on Fresh Cuts and Petal Pusher, though to play on one of the other suggestions, how about “fleurish” instead of flourish?
i like “deadhead”
“In-floral affairs”
How about “flowergirl”?
I don’t know, I still like “Nice Stems.” I also like the ranunculas. (Ranunculae?)
Stem Gems
Room to Bloom
“rooted in design”
I was coming here to suggest
Fleurish
and saw there was already a “Flourish.”
…must be something in the air.
Design*Oasis
Seems like Petal Pusher is a hit! Here are some other suggestions:
Flos decoro (Flower adornment)
The Secret Life of Fleur
Pollen Me
Venustas Verno ( Beautiful Bloom)
In Bloom
Blossom & Bramble
Verdure
BeeBait
flourish
Stem and Sprout
Luminous Blooms
sarah’s stems
sarah’s seeds
floral sponge
Dirty Deeds
I Garden; Soil You
In Your Vase!
“uncut”
This is something so near and dear to my heart! I vote for Design Sprout or Bloominista. My former floral shops’ name was Belle Fleur and people would come in and ask me if I was a dress shop! Uhhhh?
I like “fresh cuts” because I think it’s a great fit with the essence of the Design Sponge blog, while being a play on words for both “fresh” and “cuts.”
I also like
The Modern Flourish
OK now I am in love with Fleurish and Budding Genius. Particularly Fleurish.
violet sunrise
violent violets
voluptuous snapdragons
the parker posies
the parker petunias
stem the tide
bouquet my heart
sunflower pea
and give my love to rose
i like design*sprout and design*thumb…
my suggestion is design*seed or going out on a limb here…”cross pollination”?
“Petals & Prose”
I love, love, LOVE the addition of floral design! Yay! What a great thing to see on a cold, winter day!
How about naming your addition:
either
(1) calyx
or (2) stigma, style and pistils
(all parts of a flower)
Thanks for perking up my day and carry on with the posie-pokin’!
I like Erin’s suggestion of Design*thumb!
My own contribution is Play Dirt.
Picture Perfect Posies
…brings to mind little girls picking wild flowers and their sweet smells.
If it hasn’t been offered already, “Making Arrangements.”
Here’s my name suggestion:
florasarah
Designer Dirt?
“Flora” ?
Fleur du Jour and Bloomin’ Girl are my favorites. (Bloomin’ Girl sort of makes me think of Gossip Girl, for some reason.)
Regardless, best column idea ever.
Bloom Room
Flower Power
Sarah’s Bloom Room
Sarah’s Vase
Sarah’s New Cuts
One more
Sarah’s Fresh Vase
how about:
adorn
or
fleurish
or
florist nightingale
Trowel and Trellis
Fleur du Jour
Love it! love it! love it!
I live in sunny California and my ranunculas are already crawling out of the ground!
Nea’s Nosegay
SEN- d FLEURS,
(Sarah, Eric, Nea-d)
Petal Tripper
Over the Garden Gate
Vase and Water, Brooklyn
Stemsations
Rootless Creations
I love the name Design*Sprout… however, that is already the name of one of my favorite blogs… I thought I should say something.
http://www.designsprout.com
I think “hello petal” is quite nice!
I think “hello petal” is quite nice.
These are beautiful flower arrangements. I love a lot of the column name submissions( I only thought of Bloomin artist) but whatever you call it, it will surely be a success.
So glad to see Saipua here! I read her blog for the flowers, the wit, and the pets.
I second the name In Your Vase! So funny, Nina B.! Although Sarah and Eric’s suggestion of Kind Bud is also hilarious, but think that’s a different blog. :)
this is so funny. oh so many punny names available to think about:
Nature Calls
I’m feelin’ thorny…
I liked the suggestion of simply “bloom” : )
Love design*thumbs, bloom bloom room, or Floral Gems
I second clarity & grey’s suggestion:
vine & posy
I want to do my wedding arangements myself, and have been inspired by your posts. However, I cannot seem to find wholesale ranunculus in these colors. Do you have any ideas of where I could find them online? Or would I have to go to a nursery?
I like Petal Pushers and Sponge Bloom. I am also thinking Sponge Petals and The Flower Frog.
carolyn
thank you for your comment- this post is actually a bit old and the column went on to be named “weeder’s digest”
grace :)
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