I shall buy my mum one of these (Cyclamen)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Cyclamen
Date:	12/10/04 (239 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: pretty

Disadvantages: sometimes difficult to keep

Cyclamen, oh my mum does like a nice cyclamen at Christmas, its her bday soon too so I expect to buy her one.
Cyclamen colours are red dark pinks pale pinks and white my favourite is a dark pink
These plants look very attractive as a winter table decoration.

For my mum I shall buy one in a pot from a florists or garden centre. I shall buy one with plenty of buds on so it flowers for a long time. Then when it has finished flowering she can plant it in a frost-free place in her garden and hope it survives to bloom in her garden next year.
A cyclamen develops from a corm, which is a swollen part of the stem that stores nutrients. Roots grow from the bottom of the corm.
It is possible to buy these corms from nurseries or garden centres for a couple of pounds. Cyclamen plants I have seen available from about £3.00p _ £10.00 depending on size.

Cover the corm lightly with soil so its tip is just showing and water it and you should grow your own cyclamen successfully.

There are several species of cyclamen the one that is pot grow for indoor display is usually Cyclamen persicum. There are other species more suitable for outdoor growth flowering autumn to spring time. These look lovely naturalised in grass with snowdrops. They are not too fussy about soil and grow impartial shade. Colours are white pale pink to darker pinks.

The flowers on an outside cyclamen are smaller than the pot indoor plant.
I have seen cyclamen growing wild in Greece and turkey a beautiful sight. The word cyclamen is derived from Greek. The wild flowers are a getting rarer so make sure you buy your plants from a reputable firm that does not collect from the wild.

Some people find cyclamens difficult to keep indoors. They need a cool spot (frost free). Remove the dead flowers they develop seed cases which take energy from the plant Do not water the crown on top, water underneath the plant place the plant in a saucer. Do not cover the crown with soil it will rot it. Keep your cyclamen moist not wet. Your cyclamen will go into dormancy after flowering the leaves wilt turn yellow do not just throw it out try popping it in the garden keep it moist it may naturalise there.
Thanks for reading about the present I shall buy my mum, Best wishes Mary

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