Finding their happy place

As I was walking about the front garden yesterday morning I noticed this clump of Cyclamen that had self-seeded into the gravel path right up against the stone wall. I remember seeing them before and just deciding to leave them alone. Any time I've tried to remove Cyclamen seedlings to replant, I've usually lost them. Maybe letting them alone long enough to bulk up is the answer. 

Seeing the Cyclamen in the path made me wonder how the plants in the nearby bed were faring. Only the original plant is visible and it looks good. Critters, heat and drought mostly likely have done a number on a couple of different varieties that were nearby. They had been doing pretty well but our increasingly hot summers are not helping.

Furter along the path I saw self-seeded ferns, Geranium phaeum and another tiny Cyclamen. 

The first two plants have the same patterning and are likely C. purpurescens. The next one doesn't look quite the same and I'm not sure of exactly which one it is. The last one is the reverse of the first two and is likely C. hederifolium.

I've had enough problems with critters digging these out that I've given up adding any new varieties despite the beauty of the foliage. 

Comments

[danger garden]

Sometimes the reader I use to be notified of new blog posts on those I follow inserts a post from the past. I thought this was going to be one of those when I opened it, but no, it's current. How the heck do you have cyclamen foliage in your garden right now?

[Barbara H.]

I'm jealous.

[Kris P]

Plants are sometimes much smarter than we are about the best spots for them!

[Jerry]

I am so surprised to hear about critters digging up your Cyclamen. We've got loads of C. hederifolium and some C. coum just starting to bloom, and nothing seems to have bothered them for the last 12 or so years. The corms on the former are huge! These two species, at least, seem to do okay with going 3-4 months without water in the summer. The leaves on the cyclamen in your second photo are a real stunner!

[Linda Brazill]

JERRY — Your cyclamen success suggests that maybe I should try again.

[Linda Brazill]

DANGER — Given that there are two kinds of Cyclamen that bloom in winter and late summer, it can be confusing. All of mine bloom at this time of year which may be earlier or later than is typical due to zone and climate I'm guessing.