Ask Ella: Pinning Those Ranunculus

Ranunculus are one of the Garden Collage team’s collective favorites when it comes to cut flowers– they are so beautiful, with a perfect spherical shape that is almost “cute”– plus, they have a fun name and they are very easy to maintain. Here’s how to get the most out of them:

Ranunculus, which are a cousin of the buttercup, are a frost-tolerant, cool-weather perennial. To keep them as a cut flower, take all the leaves off the stem and save the baby fronds, which can be used as “filler greenery” in a bouquet (they also look great in vintage bottles). Keep the flowers in room-temperature water and poke the bottom of the stem vertically with a sewing pin; this will increase water uptake in the stem, which isn’t always hollow (the thickness of the stem’s “core” varies flower to flower).

For best results, change the water at least every other day and– if you’re really motivated– re-cut the stems on the diagonal each time you change the water. If you’re the type of person who can’t be bothered to touch the flowers after you initially put them in the vase, then don’t worry– the pinning should do the trick.