My poppies

14 comments

We have lived here for 15 years. When we moved in there were 2 trees, a lot of grass and some thistles. I had never had a garden before so imagine my delight when these poppies appeared as soon as we started to cultivate.
They’ve come up every year since. I always collect seed but rarely sow it. They just come anyway. We started off with mainly pink and purple but the colours have interbred and now we get reds and dark purple too and many variations of semi- double, double and fringed poppies. They are the annual poppy Papaver somniferum.

This one has come up in my salad patch. I am a bit soft about poppies and let them grow in silly places. The plant is now huge and has big double red flowers, which we have never had before. The photo does not really show the colour well. The picture of the bud is more the true colour.

Sadly, since I wrote this the plant has fallen over and the stems broke. The rain and wind were too much for it. They are now in a vase so I hope they last a few days.
And the bees love them. This one has four bees in it.

Most of these are in my kitchen garden. The vegetables are not doing so well due to lack of water, I hope they will perk up now we have had some decent rain but at least the poppies distract from the sad little peas and lettuce.

This frilly one has gone next door, I hope I get some or I’ll have to go and claim back some seeds.

Now I’m showing off. I’ve been crawling round on my hands and knees again! Worth it though.

12 Jun, 2011
5 likes

Comments

Paulsgarden

I love poppies and often crawl to get my photos too :D lovely photos - love the light coming in on the one you went on hands and knees to get :):):)

12 Jun, 2011

Michaella

Beautiful poppies, thank you for sharing :)))

12 Jun, 2011

Ladybug47

beautiful your so lucky

12 Jun, 2011

Lincslass

Lovely pics of lovely poppies, I hope mine do that, only started growing mine year before last and already they are popping up in various different parts of my garden, will be grand if I also get differents colours as well..

12 Jun, 2011

Stickitoffee

These are really good.

12 Jun, 2011

Linda235

I took a couple of seed heads from a poppy in the park last year. I planted the seeds and I have over one hundred seedlings. Potting them on is a nightmare!! I will stand back and hope. Your poppies look great MM.

12 Jun, 2011

Libet

These are lovely Marshmallow! My Mum had the same sort of poppies in her veg garden too, she couldn't pull them up either! Huge big pink double ones, they look unreal don't they! All of yours are beautiful!

Hi Linda! I don't envy you potting those poppies on, I've never been able to get any to thrive after I've transplanted them, they don't seem to like being moved! Good luck!

12 Jun, 2011

Mariek

I just love poppies and yours are so big and blousy - beautiful !

13 Jun, 2011

Stickitoffee

the photos are lovely; i have a poppy seed head that i got from a friends garden but its not a dried one ~ still quite green ~ will it do anything??

13 Jun, 2011

Marshmallow

Thank you everyone. I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Yes, I am lucky Ladybug. It's a privilege. I'd like to wear the poppies really.
How do they take to potting on Linda?
Sticki - I would try keeping it in a warm dry place and let it dry out. As you probably know the seed head opens up and the seed shake out the top when they are dry. If they do that they are probably viable. Give it a go.

13 Jun, 2011

Stickitoffee

i shall certainly try ~ many thanks.

13 Jun, 2011