Planting cyclamen in the winter in Phoenix, Arizona

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If you've walked past some cyclamen at your local garden center, and had your eyes knocked out by the amazing white, red, and sometimes purple blooms, and were wondering if they were too good to be true, don't worry, they'll do just fine in your desert garden all winter. I've planted them many times.

Now remember, they're annuals, so when the weather gets hot again, in June, they will die. And they're pretty darn expensive - even a small single plant costs about $4 so you really shouldn't try to do them in a mass planting, like petunias.

This is what I've done here: I got three white blooming ones and planted them in the river rock garden by the patio. As you can see, I've mixed them in with other plants, like Haworthias (those things that look like tiny aloes), euphorbias, and other succulents. Actually, I put the plants in first, and then added the rocks around them. Of course the illusion is that it's supposed to look like the plants grew up between the rocks! As the plants grow, I'll move the rocks away, giving them more room. When they fade away in the summer, I'll move the rocks back in. Unfortunately, in some places in my garden all that I can "grow" in the heat of the summer is rocks!

I just planted this all in yesterday (November 13th) so you have to imagine the area in a month or so. These plants will do great throughout the winter (the coldest temps we get here doesn't bother them) so it should be pretty darn amazing by December, or January.

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