Cyclamen have been with us a long time; they are one of the classic indoor plants.

In the flower language of lovers, a gift of cyclamen means sincerity

In different countries or regions, according to taste and environment, cyclamen can be found in terracotta containers, ceramic pots, or wicker baskets. Sometimes, in contemporary interiors, they are placed in decorative pots of copper or zinc.
They display their flowers in all their loveliness for many weeks during autumn and winter.

In the wild, cyclamen mostly flower in shades of pink, violet or white, with a deeper-coloured ‘eye’ in the centre.

Many growers have contributed to the work of selective breeding, and the result is the huge variety of flower shapes and colours that cyclamen are capable of, as well as varied foliage.

Today, with modern F1 hybrid varieties, our cyclamen have a quality and vigour that enable them to be sure of giving pleasure in a great variety of conditions.

Most varieties flower freely and vigorously, with flat flower petals rounded, wavy or even frilled at the edges.
Colours are either plain, flame-patterned, or striped; there is often a darker ‘eye’ at the base of the petals.
In the large-flowered varieties the petals can reach 4 to 6cm.
There are miniature cyclamen also, closer in shape to the wild varieties, with petals of just 2 or 3cm.

The beauty of the plant is assessed according to:

• Foliage: a compact, rounded plant in habit, with a lot of small leaves; size in proportion with the pot; variegated leaves with a good pattern and silvery contrast.
• Blooms: 5 well developed petals, curving back in full bloom (sketch)
• Flowering: many flowers nicely erect on stalks not over-long, a real living bunch of flowers, with more than 20, sometimes as many as 50 blooms!! It is also important to see a number of buds within the plant, or others on the outside on the point of flowering.

The wild cyclamen plant of the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin flowers there in the cool and damp of autumn and winter. The varieties that have been bred today can be made to flower for us almost all the year round. Blooms can be had from July till Easter; and these modern varieties withstand heat also, better than in the past.

Cyclamens can be obtained in various shapes. They do a most decorative job of filling an indoor windowsill, or in window-boxes in southern climates. They are captivating on a table, a chest of drawers, or the most contemporary of shelving, and combine with other plants in happily contrasting ensembles.

Specially grown cyclamen are perfect for outside planting. In more and more places we are coming to see them in window-boxes, urns or beds towards the end of summer and in autumn. Indeed, these plants that look so delicate are astonishingly robust and hardy. They can withstand rain, wind and cold weather for weeks on end; their flowers shine out without fading, as if winter was still far off.

• Cyclamens indoors like a light, fairly cool position; so they feel at home in stairwells, entrance halls, and bedrooms. Optimum temperature 13º to 17ºC( 55 to 63ºF).
• Water moderately but regularly, at the edge of the pot, never onto the bulb; two to three times a week, depending on temperature and pot size.
• Stagnant water is bad for the roots. It is better to throw away any water which has not sunk in within half an hour of watering. Soft, wilting stalks are more often a sign of over-watering than of drying out. The soil should be checked; it should always be slightly damp (remember, in the wild the cyclamen’s habitant is the undergrowth, not the swimming pool!)

• To give the plants enough vigour and encourage them to open their flowers fully, it is advisable to give fertiliser once a week to plants in bloom and once a fortnight in summer.
• To get the longest possible enjoyment from your indoor cyclamen, you can put it outside at night to keep cool, and bring it in each morning.
• Withered flowers and foliage may be taken off with no need for force, just a light twist of the stalk.
• Outside cyclamens prefer semi-shade and shelter from the wind; in autumn they enjoy full sun. They can withstand near-freezing temperatures, and even light falls of snow.
• When flowering is over (June), water less and then stop altogether. Cut the dry leaves with scissors before earthing up the bulb to rest. Place the plant in a shaded spot or keep the pot in a cool, light room.
• When September comes, start watering again little by little. The leaves will grow for four months and then in the natural course of things you will have flowers from February to June (don’t forget the fertiliser!).