Selling wedding flowers, at first to floral designers, then direct to clients for weddings and events, opened my eyes to a whole group of flowers that you might never have heard of: Ranunculaceae.

The Ranunculaceae family (or ranunculus) is a genus of about 600 species.

A ‘genus’ is a class of plants with similar traits, qualities or features.

The ‘species’ represents a subgroup of one or more plants within the genus.

There can be many species within a genus and then there can be a whole host of ‘varieties’ to contend with.

A ‘variety’ is added when within a species there are variations which require separate identification.

Okay so far, so confusing, and the number one reason why, when you come out of the garden centre clutching a bag of corms that might look the same, they then grow up to be disappointing and nothing like you were expecting.

They are the much smaller ‘bedding’ species and not the cut flower species. Big difference. Anemones are also part of the Ranunculaceae family.

Again, garden centre varieties are bedding plants not cut flowers.

Cut flowers Floral designers will be very familiar with these statuesque cut flower types which flood the flower markets throughout the cooler months. Blooming long before the Roses and Sweet Peas, Ranunculus and Anemones will transform arrangements.