Few flowers compare to Ranunculus with their dainty beauty and romantic petals. They're often used in weddings for this reason, but you might not have seen them since then! Ranunculus are in a group of flowers called hardy annuals. This means they can handle cooler weather, but complete their life cycle in one year. Because our spring is so short here in Texas, these need to be planted in the fall so they have enough cool weather to grow properly before they bloom in the spring.
Ranunculus seeds are called corms and look like shriveled octopuses when they arrive. I soaked them in water for 3 hours, and then "planted" them in potting soil to pre-sprout them before planting them in my garden at the end of October. To do this, you put moist (not wet/soaking) potting soil in a flat tray with sides, then your layer your soaked Ranunculus corms with the "fingers" pointed down. Cover with more moist potting soil. Put your tray in a dark place for 10-14 days checking every few days to make sure it's not drying out. You may need to water it lightly a few times to keep the soil moist. When you start to see growth popping through the soil, it's time to plant into the garden! Plant in well-draining soil, spacing the corms every 6".
Due to our crazy weather patterns here in North Texas, these flowers need protection a few times in the winter from frigid temperatures. December was unusually cold here with it dropping to 8 degrees before Christmas. In preparation for this drastic temperature drop, I watered really well and covered my Ranunculus with frost cloth. The flowers survived the extreme cold of December for the most part and are really putting on new growth as we've had record warm temperatures in January! As a rule, I cover with frost cloth if the temperatures are going to drop below 32.
These ruffled flowers may look dainty, but they're incredibly tough to deal with our temperature swings. I can't wait for them to start blooming and to share their beauty with you!