Bedding Cyclamen have changed over the years to become even better, offering a much larger colour range from pure white through various pinks, magenta, plum and lastly deep red. Some even come with frilled edging.
Suitable for pots, window boxes, hanging baskets and even borders they are extremely versatile. Cyclamen are pretty enough to be planted on their own but are also stunning when mixed with other plants especially silver foliage which adds a beautiful contrast. Their heart shaped green leaves often have light marbling which adds an extra layer of prettiness.
Cyclamen is a reliable go to plant when all other colour is starting to fade from your garden in late Summer/Autumn providing an abundance of vibrant colour and even light fragrance for the dullest months of the year. Some are even suitable for cool rooms indoors and if they are kept on the dry side will bloom for months.
Just like any other plant, Cyclamen will benefit from regular feeding, continue this fortnightly until the leaves begin to turn yellow at the start of Summer. The main thing to remember about Cyclamen is not to let them become waterlogged. Adding extra grit or perlite to the compost when planting should prevent this from happening. Regularly remove any flowers that are fading by twisting and pulling the flower stems from the bottom as close to the soil as possible, this will not only prevent rotting but will also encourage new blooms to appear.
Although Cyclamen are ideal for Winter planting, they do not like it to be below 10 degrees. So, if the weather turns extreme, simply move any containers to a more sheltered spot under the canopy of a tree or sheltered close to the house.
Now your only problem is deciding which colours to choose!
