Some flowers look especially lovely on a grey day. Rain is gathering outside, while above the cyclamen’s marbled leaves, bright petals stand lifted as though caught by a breeze. It is a plant to keep nearby and notice between everyday things. A cool, bright spot helps it hold that display for longer.

This is florist’s cyclamen, Cyclamen persicum and its hybrids, sold as flowering pot plants. It has fleshy leaves and a tuber near the surface of the mix. Two small decisions make a useful starting point at home: where the pot stands and how you water it.

Find a cool, bright place

Flowering cyclamen enjoy bright, indirect light and cool air. Around 15–18 °C during the day is a useful guide. Look for a bright room that is heated less, or a window away from rising warmth above a radiator.

Check the windowsill in the evening too. Cold draughts and leaves touching chilly glass deserve attention. Florist’s cyclamen cannot tolerate frost, so a balcony that freezes overnight is unsuitable, even if it feels inviting in the afternoon.

When choosing a plant, look beneath the leaves for unopened buds. Firm foliage and buds waiting below the open flowers make a promising beginning. At home, find a comfortable spot for the pot.

A few seconds with the pot before watering

Gently touch the surface of the mix. If it still feels moist, wait. Once the top feels dry, it is time to water. Keep the mix moderately moist, avoiding both prolonged saturation and complete drying.

Check daily while getting to know a newly arrived plant. You will notice how its pot behaves in that particular room. A cool spot changes how quickly it needs water. Soon, this brief visit to the window becomes easier than remembering a fixed watering day.

Water the mix and keep the centre dry

The leaves and flower stems emerge from the tuber. Avoid pouring water into the middle of the plant, where moisture can linger.

To water from below, lift the nursery pot out of its decorative container and stand it in a shallow bowl of room-temperature water. Watch the moisture rise through the mix. When the surface begins to moisten, remove the pot and allow excess water to drain completely before putting it back. Empty the saucer or outer container.

You can also water gently from above, close to the pot’s rim, keeping water away from the tuber and leaf bases. Again, let the water drain and empty the saucer afterwards.

When the leaves suddenly droop

Check the mix and the plant’s position first. Drooping foliage alone does not tell you how much water the pot needs. More water in an already wet container prolongs those wet conditions. If the surface is dry and the mix has dried enough to need water, water as described and watch how the plant responds.

Yellow leaves can accompany several conditions, including too much or too little water, warmth and insufficient light. With a newly bought flowering plant, start there. A single yellow leaf is too little evidence to decide that the plant needs its dormant season.

As flowering draws to a close

After flowering, cyclamen may gradually move into a resting period: leaves yellow and die back, and growth slows. Reduce watering gradually at that stage. Follow the whole plant and its conditions rather than a date alone.

Bringing a cyclamen back into flower at home takes suitable conditions and is not always successful. For now, while fresh leaves and buds remain, it is a pleasure to pause nearby and spot another flower opening — one more bright detail in a short winter day.