Saturday, March 29, 2008

Persian Buttercup


Persian Buttercup
Ranunculus asiaticus 'Yellow Blend'
(ra-NUN-ku-lus) (a-see-AT-ee-kus)
Synonyms: Turban Buttercup, Persian Crowfoot

I know I was suppose to write about Bailey’s Arboretum today but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Yesterday wasn’t a complete wash out here (we got about .25 inches of rain) so I was able to get to a few nurseries and see what they were growing. I tend to try and see what is available at the beginning of the season so later if I need some plants or I am making a design I have an idea of what I can get. It is also a good time to get a few pictures.

We grow this Ranunculus as an annual here in Connecticut. The mix of colors the nursery had was really nice. The flowers look a bit like roses to me. They need good drainage and if you are planting them you will understand that you need to plant the claw side down. Some people lift and store these plants for the winter but I have never had any luck storing them. I like getting finished plants so they are blooming before the summer heat kicks in (and the plants go dormant). Dead heading seems to help them keep blooming. This next picture is an abstract macro of another blend type, which I didn't get the name of.


I am off to the Vet’s Office to prune their shrubs. There are a few things I need to look up to make sure that I prune them correctly. One is Grapes as they have a huge grape arbor and I haven’t pruned Grapes in many years, so I need to brush up on the rules.

5 comments:

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Priscilla George said...

Great photos. I love ranunculuses. I had bought a bulb or two but didn't plant them in a big enough pot for them to grow. Gorgeous yellow on that first one.

Sandy Kessler said...

is the second purple photo also rununculus?

Digital Flower Pictures said...

Vl, ah live and learn. I noticed the ones at the nursery had fairly large pots.

sandy, hi and yes that is a Ranunculus. The purple streaking was quite beautiful when the flower was open.

Ki said...

My wife was just saying after she saw some ranunculus at the local nursery, why we didn't plant some bulbs. I don't know, it never seemed to occur to me I guess. They sort of remind me of those flowers that feel like paper - I can't remember the name.