Rays of brightly coloured cyclamens are being stacked high in the garden centres, florists and supermarkets as the retailers get ready for Christmas.
These pretty flowers in vivid pinks, purples, reds and white are a reliable source of colour and beauty in the very depths of winter. But cyclamens aren’t just for Christmas – some species will start flowering at the end of summer and into autumn, while others will commence in January right through to spring. Originating from the Mediterranean, cyclamens usually go dormant during the summer so that’s the one season you don’t see them.
And just this week I was astonished by a bed full of them growing in a garden in Rathmines, Dublin. The effect was of a carpet or tapestry full of exotic-looking colour when so much else was dying away. They were cyclamen hederifolium, which appear in September (or sometimes even late August) when its delicate pink fragrant flowers appear on naked stems. The ivy-like marbled foliage comes next, knitting together to form a delightful tapestry. And even now in November you’ll still find them flowering in some gardens.
When planting the tubers, don’t go too deep – about two inches is fine. Most cyclamens like a bit of shade but this one will tolerate sun as well, and true to its Mediterranean roots, it likes well-drained soil. Rather than plant singly, I’d recommend digging a hole big enough to take half a dozen plants and then let them self seed – this will create a naturalised effect. Cyclamen coum will take up the flowering baton in winter. These look lovely in the shade under trees, amidst ferns, aconites and snowdrops. Their delicate pink flowers are held over kidney-shaped foliage. Mulch in spring after leaves die down. Because they disappear completely, be careful when you are hoeing in the summer and try not to disturb them.
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Then there is the florist’s cyclamen, the indoor variety, usually cyclamen persicum. This is too tender for outdoors but is also a bit fussy indoors. The problem is it doesn’t like to be overheated, which our dwellings often are mid-winter. A cool unheated conservatory is ideal.
Getting the watering right is a balancing act between not letting the compost dry out completely but not keeping it too wet, either, as the stems and tubers will decay. You can either discard after flowering, as many do, but it is a perennial which with some care should re-flower again next year. To do this, allow the plant to go dormant when it finishes flowering in spring. You are trying to replicate what happens when they are growing in the wild – their leaves will go yellow and die. Move to a cool area – a garage would be fine – and discontinue watering. Around September/October bring back to the light and resume watering and feeding as they wake up.
I love using these plants for Christmas decorations – plant in a bowl with some gravel at the base for drainage and then cover the compost with some moss. While it’s tempting to buy in full flower, try to choose plants with lots of buds, that way you’ll get to enjoy them a lot longer!
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