Joanna Gaines, owner of Magnolia, has lots of room to play with her favorite hobbies, namely, designing spaces and gardening. From the Magnolia Silos properties in the heart of Waco, Texas, where she can curate showrooms and shop displays to the Magnolia Journal offices where she writes, Gaines has many avenues to flex her creative abilities.

Even with all of her businesses and properties, Gaines’ favorite space to play (and plant) is her garden at her and her husband, Chip’s, 19th-century farmhouse. The farmhouse sits on 40 acres of land, some of which Gaines claimed for her expansive personal garden and space for a rose cottage. In the spring issue of the Magnolia Journal, Gaines gives readers an inside look at the garden, and she shares what flowers she planted for the first time.

“This year, the fresh experiment was ranunculus,” Gaines writes. “I haven’t had much experience growing these delicate, ruffled blooms, but I’ve always loved their look and color options and was intrigued enough to give them center stage in the garden.”

Gaines notes that she was surprised by ranunculus’ quick blooming period. “Out of everything we planted, the ranunculus were the first flowers to bloom after winter—the first sign that warmth and light were on the way,” she writes. “And once they reached peak height and fullness, their petals burst in endless layers and depth of color that truly took my breath away.”

Tips for Growing Ranunculus

With their vibrant colors and layers upon layers of paper-thin petals, ranunculus, also known as buttercups, are much easier to plant and grow than you’d expect for such a delicate-looking flower. In warmer climates, plant ranunculus seeds in late fall in full to partial sun and water weekly. They will produce gorgeous blooms in the early spring. In colder climates, start with ranunculus corms and plant them in early spring; you’ll have flowers within 90 days.

While ranunculus looks stunning when planted in mass bunches in the garden, Gaines shared what other flowers and trees she paired with ranunculus in her spring garden. In a mix of raised beds and containers, Gaines planted anemones, sweet peas, wild aster, scabiosa (also called pincushions), and linaria. She also grew lavender, boxwood topiaries, orlaya, and weeping cherry trees. Because of their similar needs, larkspur and pansies also make great companion plants for ranunculus.

Out of all of her spring blooms, Gaines had a soft spot for the delicate ranunculus. “I enjoyed them so much, I asked our garden team to plant them all over the Silos grounds so our guests might fall in love with them too,” Gaines writes.

Gaines writes that the ranunculus reminds her that change, even in places where she’s most comfortable and familiar, is important, even necessary. “Branching out is a really beautiful way to grow,” she writes.