Cyclamen hederifolium is a good plant for shady gardens. It flowers in early autumn when not much else does, spreads freely and is in leaf for a long period. And it will do all this in fairly deep dry shade.
 The flowers are pure white or rich pink. I notice that late foraging bees seem to ignore the white form and favour the pink (at least in this garden). From the aesthetic point of view the combination of the two is delightful; they seem to almost glow among the mottled greens and browns of their surroundings.
 C. hederifolium is unusual in the sense that it flowers first then puts out leaves. It's sometimes known as the Ivy-Leaved Cyclamen though the patterns on the leaves are more intricate than ivy.