Cyclamen advice for a novice...

[WallyWallyWally]

Hello

I bought a lovely red cyclamen this morning, having been inspired by my mum's beautiful display of then that she keeps in her conservatory. I thought that her success was due to the high light levels in there... but on reading it appears that it's probably down to the fact that - summer excepting (she's in Scotland) - it's very cool in there overnight and for most of the year. I don't have a conservatory! I live in France, have an apartment that is very very warm and sunny on one side and quite cool and shady on the other. I have a small outdoor space just outside our windows. There are some well grown trees and shrubs which provide shade, and at this time of year it's getting down to about 11 degrees at night. The soil is dry and pretty impoverished, though I have been regularly adding compostover the last few year and covering with bark chips to keep some moisture in. Most random things I've planted have survived quite well - herbs mostly, and my neighbour has planted various flowers and succulents that seem to do okay.

Anyway... can I rethink my plan to keep this cyclamen indoors and plant it outdoors under a tree instead? With a good big blob of compost around it? It would be lovely to have some autumn colour outside!

[MereDintofPandiculation]

Don't know about the big red one, but it sounds a good spot to put come Cyclamen hederifolium for autumn flowers followed by C coum for winter flowers.

[Didiusfalco]

I have cyclamen outside in the shade. I think full sun would be a problem. However it depends whether it is a hardy cyclamen. I think there are different types?

[NanTheWiser]

It seems from your post, that you probably bought a "florist" cyclamen, which is Cyclamen persicum. Unfortunately this won't survive outside as it needs to be frost free, and, as your mum has done, kept it in a cool location. There are hardy cyclamen, as MereDint has already mentioned, which are quite dwarf little plants, generally shades of pink, purple and white. These are quite happy growing outside as they originate from high mountainous areas, and produce a long lasting display in autumn or spring (depending on the species).

[MereDintofPandiculation]

I have cyclamen outside in the shade. I think full sun would be a problem. I used to grow my cyclamen in the conventional site, in the shade of a tree. Then I visited Greece at the right time of year, went to the top of a limestone plateau, nothing but broken limestone as far as you could see ... and lots of cyclamen posting their heads out of the chippings. So I decided to try them on our terrace - south facing, about 4 inches of gravel over clay soil, at the highest part of the garden. They've loved it, particularly the C coum. The original 4 plants is now hundreds, in all shades of pink and white, with all sorts of variegated leaves. It helps that there are plenty of ants around to spread the seed. And of course a S facing terrace in the frozen N is not quite the same as a S facing terrace in the SE or SW,

[NanTheWiser]

Same here, MereDint! I saw them in the mountains of Crete, in May. I also have lots in my shady border, which have self-seeded from a few original plants. The C. coum make a wonderful display in early spring.