Plant of the Season
Cyclamens
Plant of the Season is brought to you by Gayle Parkes, OGV sub-committee member. She also posts to OGV's Instagram - make sure you check back regularly for her latest post.
The cylamen is right up there as one of my favourite plants at this time of year. They are long flowering, from early April, through winter and into spring. I bought a punnet of four sweet little ruffled pink flowering cyclamen at MIFGS a few weeks ago and they are flowering profusely! Some cyclamen are perfumed and they come in a rich tapestry of vivid colours ranging from white, to pink, red and mauve. It’s hard to choose!
Cyclamen persicum, the parent of these modern hybrids, is native to islands in the Mediterranean, Greece and Lebanon. In the 1600s cyclamen were taken to Europe and grown for ornamental purposes. Much work went into hybridising and breeding to obtain the form we have today, which is different from the original plants.
If you've grown cyclamen at home you might notice the seed pods - funny little objects growing from the plant - collect these, store them in a bottle and then sow them in winter when the temperature is cooler. I have done this year and have planted them out in a punnet and they have sprouted already!
During summer cyclamen are dormant, so put the pot on its side in a shady spot in the garden. By January/February they will start to re-grow and that's the time to repot them. These plants thrive in cool temperatures and do well in a brightly lit spot, especially on a patio or verandah.
There is much variety amongst cyclamen. My favourite is the fragrant, small flowered true miniature varieties. I love the delicate flowers and the lovely motley, marbled heart shaped leaves, each with a different pattern. I have so many in pots that pop up each year. They must be happy living with me as they don’t lose their leaves in summer….. guess I am doing something right!