Poppies popping up
My Welsh poppies (Mecanopsis cambrica) have been flowering their socks off for the last few weeks. Here is one alongside a hardy Geranium which has seeded itself nearby. The flowers can also be orange but all mine are yellow. This poppy is perennial and seeds itself everywhere – once acquired it will be in your garden for ever. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on where the seedling pops up.
Meconopsis cambrica and hardy Geranium
I have also noticed the first of my Papaver somniferum flowering. It may from the batch of seeds Karen (An Artist’s Garden) sent me last year. I have also planted some named somniferum varieties including a double but they haven’t flowered yet. These are hardy annuals and also seed themselves easily. There are a number of named varieties in a range of colours.
Papaver somniferum
I hadn’t really considered poppies for my garden until I saw all the beautiful pictures bloggers were posting last year. I fell in love with the colours, tissue paper leaves and decorative seed heads. I’m looking forward to the rest of them opening over the next few days.
11 comments
All my poppies started flowering this week too – colour has returned to the garden. Strangely of the 100’s of welsh poppies in the garden I only have one orange one.
Fingers crossed my black Papaver somniferum will put in an appearance this week he will be a new addition to the garden….
Love the colour combo of the poppy and the hardy geranium
K
Karen: I’m just hoping we don’t get heavy rain as I have some double poppies flowering for the first time!
So nice you guys are sharing seeds over there in your UK gardens. Now you will always think of Karen when you see those poppies in bloom each summer. I think I might have those Welsh poppies, but all of mine are orange. They are getting to be a bit of a nuisance, I think I let them get a little bit too comfortable… I like your yellow ones with the pink geranium. Happy belated Solstice!
Karen: Yes they can be a nuisance and don’t pull up very easily as they have long tap roots and brittle stems!
Great colors indeed. I wish I could grow them here and believe you me, I’ve tried. So great you have them as not only are the flowers awesome, but so are the seedpods. Nice of Karen to send you some seeds too!
Tina: Yes, it is so frustrating to see bloggers publish pictures of plants you would love to grow but can’t
I just love poppies, especially the red ones. I took some lovely photos back in England when they flowered in a corn field and it was totally RED.
Judith: Yes the wild red ones have a special charm, especially when there are lots together!
The same thing happened to me last year – that need for poppies, especially after seeing Karen’s. I’ve been cooing over my first ‘Beauty of Livermere’ flower this week like a proud bird does over her chicks!
VP: Poppy fever is very contagious!
There are poppies popping up all over the place in my garden too. So far they are all double ones with very frilly petals in deep pink. Yay!
I think your welsh poppy is adorable and it’s such a lovely yellow.
Yolanda Elizabet: Your poppies sound lovely – and very flamboyant!
Now I want in on the poppies. I have seen a few people grow them here so I know it’s possible but now I have to find a seed source.
Karen: That’s what comes of reading blogs – always something tempting that you must have
I’ve got several annual seed packages of poppies didn’t make it out into the garden – inspired by your photos – I think I’m going to sprinkle them around tomorrow – who knows, maybe I’ll have poppies to keep me company when I’m planting my fall bulbs?
Barbara: Go for it! I like to scatter seed too, then there is an element of surprise when they start to open – what colour will they be?
I’m having to enjoy poppies vicariously so far, mine are some way off flowering. Lovely to see – such delicate flowers which have such rich colours.
HM: Lovely aren’t they. Hope yours start flowering soon so you can post some pics!
Have just posted a number of pics of poppies here – they make such a great display at this time of year… love your photos… and enjoy the rest of your weekend Miranda
Miranda: I liked your pictures too. Late June is such a good time for flowers in the garden!
My large red poppies that i bought at a car boot sale 3 years ago seem to flower all year round, even now in the cold and wet with 17 days till christmas they are in bloom, is this normal???
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