It has been a while since I have written about an irritating plant. Regulars readers will know that the irritation is more at my poor gardening skills rather than the plant itself. This is indeed true in respect to this poor ill fated cyclamen.
You know how it goes: you are given a beautiful houseplant for Christmas and you love it, appreciate it and appreciate the thought behind it and yet know at first sight that it is going to be a challenge.
I have never had great success with indoor cyclamen. I find them tricksy. They don't like too much water, they don't like too much light or heat or cold. They are divas. I do have one that I have kept alive for more than a year but let's be clear: this is luck not skill. So when a beautiful cyclamen arrived as a Christmas present I might have whispered into into its hidden ear "sorry".
At first the plant did really well, I mean really well. You can see the amount of dead flowers that it was flowering well. It arrived mid-December and until mid-January it was fan-dabby-dozey.
and then it flopped, it floundered, it went wilty mcwiltface.
I think I might have over-watered it. It isn't in strong sunlight (not that we have had a lot of sun!), it is not by a radiator either. I really have tried to look after it.
Not all the leaves have wilted yet, so this gives me some hope. I have checked and it is not sitting in a puddle so I have whispered words of love and encouragement to it in the hope that it will pull through. If you could all send it the most positive of vibes I would be very grateful (the cyclamen would be relieved too).
I will let you know how it goes.....
More Irritating Plants of the Month can be found here
Take care and be kind.