RANUNCULUS

Today I could hold out no longer.  I drove to Dee’s Nursery, my local florist, and bought two large pots of ranunculus.  Ranunculus look a bit like exquisite poppies.  Photographs cannot capture their true majesty. I first discovered them in Montauk on an early spring visit.  What’s so unusual about them is that they come out so early in the season, like mid-March, and only stay around a short time, so often I’ve missed them due to their early departure. They come in gorgeous rich colors with textured layers – in magenta and pink and deep red. I am in love with ranunculus.

Dee’s Nursery is where I go for so many of my annuals and perennials.  My family gets my Mother’s Day presents and May birthday presents from Dee’s, sometimes in the form of gift certificates.  There is no more joyful place for me than Dee’s in May. Over the years I have acquired lots of perennials that put on a show every year – coneflowers and peonies coming in as my top May and June favorites.

I don’t know when gardening became my passion.  I’m sure I didn’t garden in my 20s (maybe because I didn’t have a garden). But ever since we moved into our current house with a garden in front and back, I’ve been smitten.  I love planting and weeding; I find that it puts me in such a meditative state. I feel close to the earth and think deep thoughts with my hands in the dirt.

I applaud my ranunculus that I now gaze upon.  Spring is in the air, and my gardening spirit is returning.