The classic Cyclamen is one of our all-time winter favourites for colour. Great indoors or outside on the patio or in the shade protected from frost they flower for months this time of the year. Their upside down flowers start right at the base and then stretch up like bird wings in shades of pink through purple.

Cyclamen come from the Mediterranean and grow naturally in forests and along shady cliff tops. They grow from a tuber which is like a potato/bulb for an easy reference and as a tuber they really do not like to be water logged needing a well drained soil when planted in the garden. They grow in the cooler seasons and then die down through summer and can come back the following year. They are different varieties some smaller and more compact in sweetness and then some a bold and flashy with large flowers that start upside down and open up to resemble a shuttlecock. As pretty as their flowers are, they also have very pretty heart shaped leaves which have silver markings on them which can vary widely too.

Inddors Cyclamen last for many months as long as they do not get hot and are allowed to dry out just a bit between watering. Our guide is to water them well only every ten days or so. The best spot for them is where they get bright light but not hot so as long as they don’t get sun through a window you will have success.

Regularly deadhead them and add Multifeed Flowergro to the water every alternate watering to feed them and boost flowering.

Outdoor Cyclamen care super rewarding on the patio or in the garden in a mostly shady spot. They don’t like reflected heat from paving and what you are trying to recreate is their natural forest climate. When planted outside they last even longer than indoors and with regular deadheading can go right through late autumn to early summer.
To grow the best we always recommend planting them with BioOcean added to a good outdoor potting soil to get them established.

Gifting a Cyclamen is a gift that keeps on giving. Besides the long flowering time through a normally drab winter they also symbolise empathy and devotion.