What to do with those Christmas plants?

[hank]

I have a Cyclamen and a couple of Hyacinths in the house. When they've finished, I have it in mind to plant them out in my wildlife border. Should I be looking for a position of shade or full sun ( or what? ).

H.

[King Edward]

What kind of Cyclamen? The large 'indoor' ones aren't hardy. Cyclamen hederifolium is hardy and will do well naturalised in shady grass or under trees.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by hank

I have a Cyclamen and a couple of Hyacinths in the house. When they've finished, I have it in mind to plant them out in my wildlife border. Should I be looking for a position of shade or full sun ( or what? ). H.

As K.E says, many of the 'indoor' cyclamen are not hardy in most parts of the UK - they particulalry dislike 'winter wet' and the corms tend to rot. You can optimise the chances of survival by planting in a well drained area with grit added to the planting area - if you have a clay soil forget it. Cyclamen will do well has a house plant as long as they are kept in a cool, bright but not direct sunlit, location - as long as they are not allowed to become water logged the pots can be kept outside from spring to autumn. The trick to bringing them into flower again is to allow a short period of 'drought' in late summer. The hyacinths can be planted out in a well drained area that gets some direct sunlight - reflowering however is not guaranteed and unlikely this coming spring.

CM

[hank]

It's a large flowering one, so it sounds as if it doesn't stand much chance outdoors. Thanks.

H.

[Brocakat]

Keep them in their pots under the trees/shade, in your Garden, from Springtime until October - then bring them in to a COOL place indoors & start feeding to form the Flower buds up. They hate damp.

You should also pop the Hyacinths out (which are in Pots ) in early spring - they are strictly tender - BUT have become acclimatised & 'soft' indoors. Keep the foliage on - on until it dies-off as yellow. You will get another 2 seasons out of them - but they will not have as large a Head as this 1st Year.
The blue ones ( e.g. 'Delft Blue') will look a bit like a large Bluebell , - which it is in a way...