Cyclamen

Cyclamen is a fall and winter favorite in our greenhouse.

 Cyclamens are cool-weather houseplants that bloom from October through March in our homes. The flowers bloom above heart-shaped leaves of green and silver. Various forms of cyclamen include miniature and florist cyclamen in shades of purple, lavender, red, white, and pink.

Cyclamen Mini Crispino Mix photo courtesy of Ball Seed

Though there are hardy varieties for our area that we sell in our perennial department in season, these houseplants will not survive outdoors. 

Cyclamen Bisous Mix 

Keep Cyclamen in a cooler house, between 50 and 68 degrees F, in a brightly lit area possibly on a windowsill. Water the plant beneath the leaves and flowers when the soil surface is dry. Waiting for the plant or flowers to wilt before watering will reduce the beauty and the bloom time of the cyclamen. 

A display at Longwood Gardens displays Amaryllis with Cyclamen

Cyclamen are a good choice for the holidays to include with Poinsettias, Norfolk Island Pines, Amaryllis and other festive indoor plants. A mixed basket with Cyclamen as the floral centerpiece is a great way to spread cheer during visits to friends and families all winter. 

Ruth just made this basket with cyclamen, Norfolk Island pine and other plants. 

Cyclamen will be available in a large assortment of colors and sizes through March. 

Plant of the Week----Ornamental Cabbage and Kale

 

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale 

Fall's favorite flowers are undoubtedly mums and pansies. Both are cold-tolerant and great for cool weather color. Add a cool-weather leafy plant that will brighten up the garden with remarkable color as other plants fade. Ornamental cabbage and kale, Brassica oleracea, are the same species as their vegetable cousins, but they've been bred for color over taste. Instead of producing a cabbage-like head, these plants form a tight rosette of leaves that may be broad, flat or frilly like the kales we know and love. The plants will grow to about a foot high and a foot and a half wide.

Mixed fall container

Our growers start ornamental cabbage and kale in late summer. By early fall, plants are shipped to the store with just a hint of color. As the weather cools, the cabbage and kale come into their own, increasing in size and color as mums start to fade. 

Ornamental Cabbage and Kale

When shopping for the plants, look for large, compact plant with leaves covering the top of the pot. To transplant them, loosen the roots a bit. If lower leaves have yellowed, pull them off and bury the stem to the lowest leaves. Give them some fertilizer to get them growing and water well. On warmer, bright days, be sure to water thoroughly. 

We grow a nice assortment of ornamental cabbage and kale, including:

 Coral Queen

Coral Queen photo courtesy Pinewood

Glamour Red

Glamour Red photo courtesy of  AAS

Kamome Red

Kamome Red photo courtesy of  Ball Seed

Nagoya White

Nagoya White photo courtesy of Sakata Seed

Osaka Dynasty Red

Osaka Dynasty Red photo courtesy of Ball Seed

Osaka Pink Bicolor

Osaka Pink Bicolor photo courtesy of Ball Seed 

Peacock Red

Peacock Red photo courtesy of Lucas Greenhouses

Pigeon Purple and White

Pigeon Purple (our best seller) photo courtesy of Harris Seed

Songbird Red

Songbird Red photo courtesy Takii Seed

Compliment the plants with pansies on a front border, with ornamental grasses behind them, or decorate planters with cut evergreen boughs for the winter holidays. 

Use the leaves for flower arrangements and/or as a garnish on plates at dinnertime.

Do keep an eye out for holes in the leaves that may be a result of slug damage or cabbage worm. They may be removed by hand, sprayed with water or a safe, organic pesticide. 

Enjoy the ornamental cabbage and kale this fall and winter. 

When to Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs

Artists at Longwood Gardens

 

Comparing varieties at Longwood

When asked about the best time to plant bulbs, my short answer is to buy them early (now) to get the best selection but wait until late October-November to plant them. A message from Colorblend Bulbs recently opened on my computer with this statement: "You now it's fall planting time when...

Love the color combinations

• Fall nighttime temperatures are between 40 and 50 degrees F
• The fall foliage has moved just past its peak
• Soil temperatures are approaching 55 degrees F
• There is frost on your windshield some mornings
• You start turning on the heat in your car
• You get your first killing frost
• You start taking blankets to the football game

• 

  Frittalaria

• The hummingbirds are gone
• Winesap apples are starting to turn red
• You don't hear crickets any more
• Squirrels are digging in acorns as fast as they can"
• and so on

Early crocus perfect for early pollinators

I am a procrastinator everywhere, including in my own garden. Most bulbs need 12-14 weeks of dormancy to bloom in spring. It was January last year when I planted the last of the daffodils. Luckily, they had been in an unheated area before then. They bloomed beautifully. 

Bulb planting time coincides with hosta leaves browning and laying down.  Because I've learned to let leaves and foliage be for the wildlife and beneficial insects in my yard, the garden never gets a thorough cleaning. 

A river of Grape Hyacinths at world-famous Keukenhof Gardens

Bulbs make more of a statement when planted in masses, drifts or clusters. Mixing varieties together can be fun, just watch to see that the bulbs planted will bloom together or apart, according to your plan. There is some wonderful information at Dig.Drop.Done about bulbs from our friends in The Netherlands. 

Mixtures of tulips, columbine in beds