Cyclamen

The Perfect Houseguest

Who can resist flowering plants? Whether bright and vibrant or soft and subtle, their opening buds and full flowers attract our attention. Flowering plants bring life and fragrance into the house, put us in a good mood and create a welcoming atmosphere. In the darker months of the year, cheery floral colours, like the vivid cyclamen pink, can rejuvenate and energise us, reminding us of summer or encouraging us towards spring.

Whether small or large, single-toned or a vibrant array of colours, solo, in groups or arranged with other plants, every flowering plant has its own special style. What they all have in common is they are perfect for livening up a home, and cheering us up too.

Cyclamen plants are real eye-catchers. Single curved flowers looking like they have been turned inside out, sit on top of slim stalks. Coloured petals are a bold contrast to heart-shaped dark green foliage with striking silvery patterns.

Think Pink for Autumn : Baby, Powder or Shocking!
Are you getting that autumn feeling? The summer light is fading and the days are getting shorter, nights are colder and we're hunting for cardigans again.

Now it's cyclamen time. And with these vibrant floral plants autumn has a trick up its sleeve - a captivating array of clear, vibrant colours from white and subtle pink to warm purple and glowing red. Who says that only yellow and orange shades go with falling leaves? Cyclamen really light up the autumn; whether indoors or outdoors, as a decoration or a gift - for cyclamen fans the motto of the season is: think pink for autumn!

 

These larger-leaved cyclamen will be fine out of doors during the warmer months, but do bring them in if it starts to get chilly.

Cyclamen in a pot decorated with flowering heather allowed to dry in situ..

A pretty white cyclamen, with a ruffled edge to the petals and a deep pink-red eye, sits inside a stylish ceramic vase. This suits oriental interiors, modern minimal monochrome ones, and also funky brightly coloured décor – very versatile!

Such a pretty cyclamen deserves special treatment! This beautiful plant with delicately shaded petals is inside a striped basket. A ribbon tag and toy make this an ideal birthday or christening gift - or just to take when visiting a friend.

Cyclamen make great cut flowers. A cherry red flower,and a magenta one,are wrapped in their own leaves and tied with ribbon to make a charming place setting.Tip:If you want the arrangement to last a little longer,tuck the stem ends into a florist's phial.

This vivid magenta cyclamen looks particularly modern in a lilac frosted glass vase. Tip : coordinating flower colour and pot colour helps make plants look much more stylish.

 

Decorating with cyclamen

Cyclamen plants are ideal in autumn for patio, windowsill or any room inside the house. Previously thought of as a little staid, even old-fashioned, cyclamen are celebrating their comeback in style. They suit elegant traditional homes and modern funky ones; you can even enjoy them as cut flowers! As plants, or cut in a simple bouquet, cyclamen are a truly effective decoration, as alluring as orchids.

With natural materials like terracotta and seagrass, brightly-coloured cyclamen plants can create a Mediterranean look. When planted in classic, romantic, or simple modern containers, cyclamen still look great. Their adaptable beauty creates a decorative highlight in any location. Whether flowering pot plants, in an arrangement, as individual flowers or in a bouquet, cyclamen are always a decorative and long-lasting plant for any location.

Show Your True Colours with Cyclamen

Sometimes there just aren't the right words. What's the best way to say thank you, how do you make a peace offering, console somebody or give them a nice surprise? Flowers and plants are the perfect way to say what words cannot. You can't go wrong with giving a plant as a gift, whatever the occasion. Plant gifts are very personal; they can be funny, flamboyant, low-key and casual, or seductively romantic.

For romance or sensitive messages, we recommend the pastel-coloured flowers of the graceful cyclamen. With their soft colours in all imaginable shades of pink, light violet or brilliant white, cyclamen are perfect for conveying sincere sympathy and love. Strong feelings like pleasure, passion, friendship and fun, on the other hand, can be expressed by intensely vibrant, self-confident cyclamen in bright pink or red.

Flowering gifts

If the message is meant to last, pot plants are the ideal gift; they leave behind more than just a short-lived moment of enjoyment. Even better if the pot plant is a flowering plant. These bring a joyous burst of colour even on the dreariest of autumn days. Cyclamen are ideal for autumn and winter, guaranteeing to give you cheerful colour all season long.

Intensely coloured cyclamen flowers are almost too good to give away! Solo or decorated using just a few simple touches, they can soon be transformed into a worthy gift. Decorated with simple accessories, in gift bags or colourful wicker baskets, dressed with ribbons and autumnal accessories - cyclamen plants will be a hit every time.

Cyclamen Top Tips

Varieties: Cyclamen are related to primroses - not that you can tell from their vibrant colours! Thanks to modern achievements in growing, cyclamen today come in mini, midi and maxi sizes and an array of colours from magenta and red, to pink, white and violet. The choice is enhanced by two-toned species and variants with fringed petals; some are even scented. Cyclamen leaves are heart-shaped and deep green with beautiful silvery marbled patterns.

Home: The mountain regions of the Mediterranean are home to wild cyclamen. You can still find them growing wild along the old Roman trackways of Italy and Greece.

Location: Cyclamen like light bright airy spots indoors; not too sunny or hot. Places near a radiator should be avoided if you want your plant to live longer and flower more brightly. Cyclamen can tolerate cooler temperatures on patios, balconies and windowboxes, their colours becoming even more intense. You will need to bring them in during colder spells however - they don't like frost!

Blooming Season: Cyclamen flower from early September to the end of February, making them perfect gifts for back-to-school, Christmas, New Year and Valentine's Day. The unmistakable flowers are slightly bent back in a gentle curve like an upended skirt, and sit on top of long, slim stalks.

The Cyclamen "Twist": Remove wilted cyclamen flowers and leaves from their pot with a firm "pull and twist" movement. In this way you can make room for new leaves and flowers and prevent the dying stems rotting the rest of the plant.

Watering & Feeding: Less is more : if the soil is too wet the flat bulb-like tuber will start to rot. Don't pour the water directly onto the compost; instead pour it into a dish or saucer and half an hour after watering pour away any water which is still left in the dish. Cyclamen should only be watered when the compost in the pot no longer feels damp. Feed them every week while they are in bloom, and cyclamen will repay you with lots of flowers.

Words and pictures courtesy of The Flower & Plants Association