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Latest post from MARKSVEGPLOT – a blog about food and gardening in England”

Whilst raking leaves off the shingle the other day, a little flash of green amongst the yellows and browns caught my eye. Closer inspection revealed that it was a Cyclamen leaf:

Never one to miss an opportunity, I decided I would adopt it. After all, Cyclamens are beautiful plants… I carefully scraped aside the shingle until the plant’s corm (like a bulb) was visible.

Using a dibber I gently removed the plant. In fact I also found another one nearby, so I had two. One of the tiny plants had a second leaf forming.

For such tiny plants they had very well-developed root systems.

I potted-up both corms in one 4-inch pot – “for company”! I’ll put them into separate pots later on, if they survive and grow bigger. I used a potting medium that was 50% general-purpose compost and 50% gravel, mimicking the conditions in which I had found the plants.

Right, now I have to go and do a bit of research about Cyclamens. A good place to start will be the blog of my friend Sue – “Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments”, because I know she is expert on such things…

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