I love the cooler weather. I know the days are still warm, but the nights have that glorious cool tinge and even better, all the plants I love to surround myself with are now in bloom, or coming into bloom.
Cut Flowers that lasts for months inside or out!
I love gift giving at this time of year. I don’t do cut flowers, of course as I want my gifts to last a little longer, but I also know not everyone is a green thumb, so I also don’t want to cause any stress with my gift.
Which is why I always love giving Cyclamens.
Cyclamens are the perfect indoor or shade plant for the cooler months. They have a long continuous flowering period – usually from April until October and are available in a rich tapestry of colours, ranging from white to pink, red and mauve and even bi-coloured. Even the leaves are pretty, coming in a range of shapes - from broad to rounded, kidney, or heart shaped. They may be blotched, patterned, or even marbled on the upper surface.
Furthermore, Cyclamens aren’t fussy, which is why they are the perfect gift.
I always tell people “treat them cold, keep them beautiful!”
Even though cyclamens grow fantastically indoors they love the cold- it seems to refresh and revitalise them. Every few days you should give your cyclamens a drink, wetting the soil and foliage and then put them outside for the night as they will appreciate the cold frosty morning!
I find a good watering every few days is fine and I always like to place my cyclamens in a planter. Planters are a little different from normal pots in that they don’t have a hole in the bottom. With a planter, you just place the plant inside the planter, with no potting. They are great for indoors, as you can still give your plants a good drink without having the water run everywhere, just take care to not over water.
Cyclamen - best flower for indoors
Cyclamens appreciate a regular liquid fertilise. I alternate every fortnight between Triple Boost and Silica and Potash Liquid. The Triple Boost keeps them healthy and the Silica and Potash keeps them flowering.
It is a good idea to remove the spent flowers. A spent cyclamen flower should never be cut off. Instead, remove tired blooms and stems by gently twisting off at the base and pulling them away from the main tuber.
Cyclamens grow from a tuber and tend to die down during our hot, humid summer. If you are lucky though and find a cool, dry, shady spot in the garden (that isn’t taken by you) they can continue to grow all through summer. If your cyclamens do die down, keep them in a cool, dry, shady position and water sparingly and hope they reappear in the cooler months again. If they don’t, think of them like this – A bunch of cut flowers that lasted over three months. Wow! Now, that’s value for money!
A cyclamen will warm your soul, even on the coldest morning, so don’t forget to spread the love this weekend and give the gift that literally keeps on giving.