Well, y’all it’s that weird time of year again where you’re just finally starting to remember what day of the week it is. Maybe you’re back to work and the kids are back at school, and the temperate outside just seems disrespectful now that the magic of Christmas isn’t in the air.
Everyone always talks about how weird the days between Christmas and the New Year are, but in my opinion those days are some of the best. I mean think about it, those days are usually filled with a little less responsibility, you genuinely DON’T know what day it is, and the left-over cookies are plenty. I mean you can’t just throw them away, right!?!
But now, we are at the point where the cookies are gone, and we are settling back into our normal routines. Starting a new year is always exciting to me. If you are a resolution type person, hopefully you are finding your stride and made it past the dreaded “quit day.” If you aren’t a resolution person, then we have that in common. Something that I do like to do though is to come up with some sort of saying, slogan, or manta for the year ahead. Sometimes it’s just a word and sometimes it’s longer. This year, I decided on the mantra “proceed with intention.”
For me, this just means that this year I’m going to focus my thoughts, energy, and actions on things that I not only want to achieve, but that are also in line with my values. In today’s world it’s so easy to get swept up in what you think things SHUOLD look like because that’s what you keep seeing on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok… wait, is TikTok still a cool kids thing?
Believe it or not, flower farming is no different. It’s filled with these drool worth posts of perfect flowers, flawlessly clean farms, and some of the most adorable flower stands I have ever seen in my life. It’s the perfect recipe for imposter syndrome. Trust me. But this year I’ve got my sights zeroed in on some pretty awesome stuff for the farm. And whether they are Instagram worthy or not I am super excited, and it all starts with the flowers! So, without further ado…
Let’s talk about ranunculus!
If you’re saying to yourself right now wtf is a ranunculus? Don’t worry, I was in the exact same boat a few years ago. To me ranunculus sounded more like something you would run into during your high school math class.
-Calculate the value of the ranunculus and then solve for X.
Uhm yeah, no thank you. Math was never my strong suit in school. Ranunculus, however, are one of my most favorite flowers. Although I must admit if you have ever spent much time talking with me you might notice a “they are my favorite flower” theme. It’s a problem and to be quite honest it kind of makes me look like a down right liar. It goes a little something like this…
“Sunflowers? Oh, I just love how they follow the sunlight, such a happy bloom. They are my favorite flower.”
“Zinnias! Yes! So many colors and the bumble bees love them, they are my favorite flower.”
“Snapdragons, OMG! …
You get where I’m going with this? Do I even HAVE a favorite flower? How can I be trusted?
Lol. As a flower grower I often find myself falling in love with the blooms of each season, as the season changes, so does my favorite flower. When reacquainted with each crop as they grow, and harvesting the freshest most beautiful stems on the farm, it’s hard NOT to declare them as your favorite. Maybe I should just change my favorite flower to “the one that is growing.”
But ranunculus, RANUNCULUS are DEFINITELY my favorite… for the moment anyway. And that is why we are literally growing 5 times more ranunculus this year than we did last year.
Proceeding with intention!
Now, in order to get these gorgeous ranunculus stems at the farm, we have to start off with the creepy not so gorgeous ranunculus corms. They resemble something that a seafood restaurant would deep fry and serve with a side of ranch. I absolutely love these little octopus shaped corms. In the fall, or winter in this years case, we soak the little octopuses in water until they are nice and plump and then stick them in the ground with the hopes of load and loads of lush blooms come springtime.
This year, we were a little late getting our corms in the ground, and by late, I mean like 2 months late. Some of it had to do with mother nature and her flat-out refusal to move into the fall and winter seasons and some if it was because we just couldn’t get it to. But nonetheless we were able to get hundreds of corms planted and I CANNOT wait to see how they do this spring. You better believe I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed until I see those sprouts poking out of the ground.
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, better than bringing a fresh bunch of ranunculus into your home after a long flowerless winter. Their heads have layers upon layers of beautiful paper-thin petals that come in all kinds of dreamy colors. Some are bold and bright while others are soft and creamy. They add beautiful texture to bouquets and are a wonderful choice for weddings flowers. My favorite way to enjoy them, however, is in a straight bunch. Cut fresh from the farm and placing them in the heart of your home, the kitchen, is the perfect way to showcase their undeniable charm.
Ranunculus are simple, timeless, and downright gorgeous. So, this spring I hope you will get your hands on some of our ranunculus bunches and that you’ll be telling everyone you know that the ranunculus from Growing Memories Flower Farm are your favorite flowers…until the sunflowers start blooming of course *wink wink* Seriously y’all, you just can’t go wrong.
Here’s to surviving winter and looking forward to spring and the ranunculus.
