cyclamen

Over the years In have been given potted cyclamens in bloom.  When the plants died down I had left the corms to look after themselves and that's what the cyclamens had done.  Not only have they reappeared to flower, they have been self sowing seeds in areas I did not expect to find them.  

Here are a few of them sprouting up through the mulch.  Some have appeared in pots alongside the mother corm.  I have planted the seedlings in pots and in the ground underneath the jacaranda tree, but with enough light to encourage flowering.  They are a beautiful sight in different shades of pink.

They brighten up the garden in winter, where they are the happiest, rather than smothered in the heat of the house.

violets

I have patches of violets in different parts of the garden.  At the moment the little gems are shining bright.  This patch is overrun by oxalis.  It is a case of pulling out the weed when I am crouching to pick a bunch of violets for the house.  They do well enough in shady areas but to flower well they need a good dose of sunshine.

This is another variety with thicker leaves and petals.  The flowers are usually larger too.  I feed the violets when I am feeding the other plants in autumn and that seem to help with the winter flowering.