Re: Cyclamen was: Exceptional Weather Comes to an End

We are getting close to the end of the course...started the first of
October with 4-hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We end on Dec. 4
with an extra of interest session on Oct. 8.  The information has been very
helpful and it has been wonderful to be in a room full of people with
similar interests.  We have already started exchanging and sharing plants
and seeds.  I am beginning to see similarities in my love of plants and
books.  I can never go into a bookstore or nursery with getting something
and am always needing more bookshelves and, now, beds. 

Bonnie Zone 6+ ETN




> [Original Message]
> From: <kmrsy@comcast.net>
> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> Date: 11/06/2003 6:44:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] Cyclamen was: Exceptional Weather Comes to an End
>
> > and put to work new information from the Master
> > Gardeners course.
>
> So how's that coming Bonnie?  Are you done yet?  (YOu may have already
said, but it slipped my mind)
> Kitty
> > Thanks, Marge,  this was very helpful.  I think I'll add this to my
"try"
> > list.  I am constructing some walks and new beds this winter and these
will
> > be a good candidate for the edges.  I am redoing two large areas of my
> > property, including the raised beds that we use for vegetable gardening
and
> > the front porch.  The front porch will require moving two beds and
adding
> > walks.  I have gotten lots of inspiration from the pictures people put
on
> > the web of their gardens.  And, it is wonderful to have the time to
work on
> > some of these projects and put to work new information from the Master
> > Gardeners course.
> > 
> > Bonnie Zone 6+ ETN
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > [Original Message]
> > > From: Marge Talt <mtalt@hort.net>
> > > To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > > Date: 11/06/2003 12:44:05 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [CHAT] Cyclamen was: Exceptional Weather Comes to an End
> > >
> > > > From: Bonnie Holmes <holmesbm@usit.net>
> > > > Tell me about the hardy cyclamen that bloom in the fall.  I'll bet
> > > they
> > > > would work here in ETN or would our climate be too humid?  I am
> > > thinking
> > > > about using them for Christmas flowers this year but hadn't thought
> > > about
> > > > varieties that would work outside.  How long do they bloom?  Are
> > > they
> > > > perennials?
> > > ----------
> > > Bonnie, Cyclamen hederifolium should certainly grow for you; they
> > > grow for me and your climate can't be more hot and humid than mine:-)
> > >  Ellen Hornig (Seneca Hill Perennials) is in z 5b NY (has reliable
> > > snow cover all winter) and grows the following outdoors - says all
> > > seed around for her:
> > >
> > > C. hederifolium
> > > C. coum
> > > C. purpurascens 
> > >
> > > C. coum and hederifolium are also grown outside in Denver
> > > successfully, with spotty snow cover.  C. hederifolium and C.
> > > purpurascens have proven consistently hardy in Ottawa, CA (USDA z 4);
> > > C. coum has had some damage on occasion in that person's garden.  The
> > > above also grow in Idaho, z 5. (this info. from posts to Cyclamen
> > > list about hardiness.)
> > >
> > > Key to winter survival is that they are not in a wet spot.  It seems
> > > it's not so much cold that can kill them, but wet, soggy cold.    It
> > > also helps if they are in a somewhat protected spot, like under a
> > > shrub or tree; not exposed to sweeping, bitter winter winds...in the
> > > lea of a rock also helps if there aren't any bushes around, but not
> > > in a place like the south foundation of a house in sun, where they
> > > may get too much winter heat.  Micro climate makes a difference:-) 
> > > They thrive under trees and shrubs because the woody roots absorb
> > > moisture in summer when most of them are dormant and prefer it a bit
> > > on the dry side - not desert, bone dry, as I learned the hard way,
> > > but dryish.  They don't like soggy soil at any time of year.  Foliage
> > > does get battered after hard winters, but the plants keep on going.
> > >
> > > I would imagine Gene is growing all three of these.  I have C.
> > > hederifolium and C. purpurascens in the garden; have killed C. coum a
> > > couple of times by putting it where it got too dry and where
> > > squirrels got to it, but have a bunch of babies (with silver pattern
> > > leaves) that should be old enough to go in the ground in another
> > > year.
> > >
> > > C. hederifolium goes dormant in summer and flowers in autumn as the
> > > weather cools a bit and the rains come.  Normally flowers before it
> > > leafs out, but leaves form while it's still flowering.  Has
> > > incredibly variable foliage from plain green to all sorts of lovely
> > > silver and pewter patterns.  
> > >
> > > C. coum is rather smaller than C. hederifolium.  The flowers are
> > > blunter in form - cute as the dickens.  It flowers in late winter;
> > > very early spring - like February around here.  It also goes dormant
> > > in summer.
> > >
> > > C. purpurascens is virtually evergreen for me and flowers most of the
> > > summer.  I am not sure if the foliage would stay all year in your
> > > climate, but it's a good one to have because it flowers during the
> > > growing season when the other two are dormant.
> > >
> > > If you have squirrels, you need to give some thought to protecting
> > > Cyclamen tubers from them.  I have mulched my beds with pea gravel -
> > > seems to help; also set small rocks around them and even covered new
> > > beds with that most attractive heavy green mesh garden fencing
> > > (ugh)...just took it off one bed this year as I couldn't stand
> > > looking at it any more.  All the above seems to help, tho' there will
> > > be some losses, even if you use goodly sized rocks.
> > >
> > > Cyclamen are, IMO, about the most charming plants on the planet -
> > > can't have too many.  I dream of swaths of them like I have seen in
> > > assorted gardening mags...sigh.  The way to get that is to grow from
> > > seed - they are pretty easy from fairly fresh seed; germinate in
> > > about a month from sowing, tho' it takes a few years to get flowers -
> > > like around 3 years for C. hederifolium - you do get the lovely
> > > foliage from the start.  
> > >
> > > These are small plants.  Sometimes, when you see photos of them, you
> > > get the impression they are large, but they are not; no more than
> > > maybe 5" to top of flower - less for C. coum - and the foliage is
> > > maybe 3" or so tall at most...'lil guys.  You want them close to a
> > > path where you can see them and you need to get down to ground level
> > > to really get a close look at the flowers (well worth the effort).
> > >
> > > The Cyclamen Society web site has lots of info. and photos of about
> > > every species out there.  
> > >
> > > http://www.cyclamen.org/
> > >
> > > There is also a Cyclamen email list - unfortunately one of the Yahoo
> > > lists (I hate mucking with Yahoo's group stuff), but you can join it
> > > by simply sending a blank email with no subject line to:
> > >
> > > Cyclamen-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 
> > >
> > > Cyclamen are like potato chips; you can't just have one:-)
> > >
> > > Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> > > mtalt@hort.net
> > > Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> > > -----------------------------------------------
> > > Current Article: Variegation on the Green Theme - Part One
> > > http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening
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