To me January and February are the hardest months to get through. Adding a Cyclamen plant to your home is a great way to brighten a gray winter's day. Cyclamens are houseplants that remind me a lot of violets in growth habit. Thick, round, spotted leaves grow out of a central crown. The unusual flowers tilt downward as the petals open toward the sky.
Many hybrids are now available in color combinations of white, red and pink.
They prefer temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees. Now, even though most of us set our thermometers a bit higher than that, there's no need to worry. Place your Cyclamen near a north-facing window. That will keep it cooler than your room temperature and also provide the good indirect light the plant needs. In warmer climates, these plants like to grow in cool basement or garage windows.