Very simple advice for busy gardeners

Cyclamen require very little care.

1. Shelter your potted cyclamen from rain and strong winds.

2. Don't over-water : let the soil dry a bit between two waterings.

3. Carefully remove withered flowers and leaves to promote the arrival of new buds.

4. If a slight frost occurs, just pinch the damaged flowers and leaves and it will flower even more beautifully. The cyclamen bulb can withstand a slight frost for a few days.

5. For perfectionists and to make the plant even more stunning: add a little fertiliser for flowering plants each month.

Example of an easy recipe for colourful window-boxes

Ingredients :
a window-box, a bag of compost for balcony plants, a bag of clay pebbles,
felt for drainage.

Preparation time: 20 mins.

Enjoyment: long hassle-free months of flowers.

1. Clean your flower-box if it has already been used and place a shard of clay on the escape holes to prevent obstruction. Arrange a layer of clay pebbles on the bottom a few centimetres deep and cover it with drainage felt. Add good "Special balcony" compost with a handful of slow release fertiliser.

2. Soak your cyclamen for a few minutes in water, before gently taking them out of their pot. Lots of white roots indicate good health.

3. Make up your planter: in front, plants with a hanging habit; in the middle, your cyclamen and the tallest plants at the back. Let your ideas guide you and blend colours, shapes and textures.

4. All you have to do is add potting soil, leaving 3 cm from the edge so that the water doesn't spill over and gently pat down. Lightly water several times on the first day.