I grow mine in full sun in my Native/Summer Dormant garden. The area is mostly grasses (Deer Grass, Blue Festuca and Mexican Feather Grass,) but during the spring it's a riot of color with lots of penstemons, poppies, mimulus and rananculus. I don't water this area at all during the summer. These are native to regions that experience summer drought, and so will appreciate a dry dormant period in order to return the following spring. However, if you have no intent on keeping it for the following year, you can continue to water throughout the summer, and they will typically reach a point where their roots rot and then you can just toss them.

Interesting, I didn't realize they liked summer dormancy. That's okay by me :-) There are a few places in the yard that have low/minimal summer watering, I'll see which place my son wants to choose. He picked out the ranunculus and is VERY proud of it! I'm sure he'd like it to return every year (so he can pick the flowers, he's always been a flower-picker since he first started walking LOL)!

I found to get them to return I must dig the tuberous roots when they go dormant and store them for the summer. Else they simply vanish, even in dry areas. But you in a colder zone might have a different experience.

Looks like you have a "budding" gardener there. :) Congrats!

Here is a link that might be useful: good page on growing ranunculus

Yup, they need to be watched in summer and not get completely dried out. I store mine in a pot of wood shavings and once a month they get sprayed with water.

Mine are in containers and are in bloom now. During the summer they are watered regularly with no rotting of the tubers. In a good fast draining mix they do not rot. The mild freezing of most of California does not seem to harm them even in containers. Full sun should not be a problem for most of us as they bloom before the summer sun gets up to speed. Al

Thanks for all the advice everyone! If it does come back, I will probably plant some more, it's really pretty :-)