I didn’t know I needed hardy cyclamen until I went to Court’s Yard and Greenhouse on Friday.

The owner took me to the back greenhouse to ask me about these hardy cyclamen plants she saw and decided to get for people looking for plants that like the shade. I knew nothing about hardy cyclamen but that didn’t stop me from buying one.

Once home, I did a bit more research, as one does.

That’s right… sometimes we gardeners buy plants that look interesting, that we know little about, then we take them home and do our research. Don’t judge! Occasionally, yes, I do enough research on my smartphone while at the greenhouse to know I’m not making a huge mistake. And of course I wouldn’t actually plant such a plant until I knew more about it. It could be a thug in disguise! Plus, I want to be sure I know enough to plant it in a spot it might like.

I liked what I read. Cyclamen coum. Dry shade. Can be difficult to establish but once established, it should provide later winter blooms and then go dormant in the summertime. Common names include eastern sowbread and Persian violets.

Violets! I am obsessed with the genus Viola right now (more on that someday) so I love that this cyclamen has a common name like Persian violet.

Anyway, I had to make a quick trip to Court’s on Sunday (plant emergency!) and ended up buying a second hardy cyclamen. (Actually, I made up a sign with some basic info on hardy cyclamen which I thought would help them sell more of them and wanted to take that to them.)

Long way around to say that I’ve decided now that I need a third hardy cyclamen. It isn’t right to have just two plants to try. So excuse me for cutting this post short… getting that third cyclamen is another one of those plant emergencies that needs immediate attention.

I knew you’d understand.

(And if you have personal experience with Cyclamen coum or any other hardy cyclamen, like C. hederifolium, in Zone 6, let me know.)

Update. And then there were three.

I chose these three plants because each one had a little bit different leaf variegation. Now to find the perfect spot…