Buy sowbread ( syn. Cyclamen neapolitanum ) Cyclamen hederifolium

Cyclamen hederifolium

Position: full sun to partial shade
Soil: humus-rich, well-drained soil
Rate of growth: average
Flowering period: October to November
Hardiness: fully hardy
Bulb size: 13/15

With their pretty, marbled, heart-shaped leaves and upright, fragrant pink or white flowers, these cyclamen have a long season of interest before disappearing below ground over the summer. The flowers of this autumn-flowering cyclamen often appear well before the leaves, which form a pretty carpet after the flowers have finished. Although they are usually planted in shade, these cyclamen originate from the Mediterranean, so are equally happy in sun. Plant them en-masse in a woodland setting with ferns and other shade-tolerant plants or around the base of deciduous trees.
Garden care: Plant tubers rounded (usually smooth) side down, shallowly in humus-rich, fertile soil. Apply a mulch of well-rotted leafmould around the crown of the plants in spring as the foliage starts to die back.