Poppies are beautiful flowers that can be planted in containers for a stunning display on a porch or balcony. They can be grown on a deck, patio, or small garden, with annual varieties making good filler plants with their silver-green foliage and low-growing nature. To plant and care for poppies, start with an adequate-sized pot and a humus-rich, loamy potting mix.
To grow poppies in a container, sprinkle the seeds lightly into the trench and dust over with soil. Keep the soil moistened and in a sunny spot until the seeds have germinated. Thin the plants to around 10 cm apart and water only when the top 1 cm of soil feels dry. Sow poppy seeds directly on top of the soil, as they need light to germinate.
Poppies grow in most soils but thrive in well-drained soil in full sun. For best results, sow them in containers six to eight weeks before the last frost. Cover them with a humidity dome to help them germinate. They need good airy soil for root growth, and real potting soil with vermiculite and perlite is recommended.
Poppies can be grown in small to medium pots or planters with good drainage. Choose a pot that is at least 20-30cm deep and about 20-30cm between plants. Soak the plants well and then plant them out in the border or cutting garden, leaving 20-30cm between plants. Water in well to settle the roots, and enjoy the beauty of poppies in your garden.
📹 How to grow grains & poppies in a pot the easy way!
This is the easiest way to grow poppies and wheat in a container! Cut back summer plants, leave the old soil & roots, top dress …
Do poppy plants multiply?
Poppies are self-sustaining plants that produce their own seeds, allowing them to reproduce with minimal assistance. To encourage seed pod formation, leave spent flower heads at the end of the flowering season. If you prefer to re-plant different varieties, remove dead flowers by breaking the stalks below the head, extending the flowering period and preventing seed pod formation through a process called ‘deadheading’.
What requirements do poppies have to grow best in?
Poppies prefer full sun positions and prefer compost and manure before planting. They can be grown in trays or directly into the soil, but they develop a long tap root and don’t like being moved. The Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) is the most popular poppy due to its easy growth in all climates and its long stems and good vase life. The Flanders poppy (Papaver rhoeas) is the remembrance poppy with distinctive blood red petals and black center. It self-seeds readily and is suitable for pots, massed plantings, or edging plants.
The Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) has the largest blooms and produces vibrant orange, pink, salmon, and white flowers. They can be purchased as plants or seeds and can be sown directly in the soil as they don’t like root disturbance. These perennial poppies flower throughout late spring and summer and self-seed easily.
Why isn’t my poppy flowering?
Poppies are prolific bloomers during their short season in early summer, but their blooming capacity can be affected by factors such as too much water, insufficient sunlight, over-fertilizing, hot weather, and recent transplanting. Perennial and annual Poppies bloom during cooler months in late spring and early summer, then go dormant in summer. Common reasons for not blooming include lack of full sun, low fertility, shadier garden locations, and fertilizing.
Poppies prefer lean soil and may respond to bulb fertilizers higher in phosphorus early in the spring, but avoid nitrogen-rich fertilizers or 10-10-10 NPK feeds. Excess watering or a rainy spring can delay blooming, and it is essential to ensure excellent garden drainage. When summer heat sets in, Poppies prepare to go dormant, with flowers dying back and seed set, followed by die-back of stems and foliage. This is part of the plant’s normal life cycle and cannot be altered.
Do all poppies produce pods?
Poppy seeds are harvested from poppy plants, which produce several flowers that burst open to reveal a bluish-green seed pod. The pods are dried and cut open to reveal tiny bluish-black poppy seeds. Poppy fields can yield up to 2, 500 poppy seeds per square foot. Poppy seeds can be used in baking in European, North American, and Middle Eastern cuisines, particularly in Jewish pastry recipes. Indian cuisine uses ground white poppy seeds to thicken and flavor traditional sauces and stews.
Poppy seeds are often paired with lemon in sweet pastries like muffins and scones, but can also be used in savory applications like salad dressings and bagel toppings. They are also a nutritionally dense little seed, rich in fiber, essential omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, thiamin, folate, and zinc. Studies suggest that unwashed poppy seeds added to tea can ease anxiety and promote sleep. Poppy seeds are a versatile ingredient in cooking and baking, adding a subtle nutty flavor and fun texture to dishes like Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing.
What is the best fertilizer for poppies?
The N-P-K ratio is crucial for vibrant poppy blooms, as it supports leaf growth, phosphorus is essential for flowers, and potassium is essential for overall plant health. A fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content, like a 10-20-10 blend, is recommended for optimal blooming. Fertilizing poppies should be a routine process, following the fertilizer label. Young poppies need a bi-weekly sprinkle of all-purpose fertilizer, while mature ones prefer a more relaxed schedule.
Avoid overzealous application, using a spreader for granules to avoid burning roots. Liquid fertilizers should be applied at night when the sun isn’t causing damage. Direct contact with the soil is not recommended, and it’s important to maintain even and safe conditions.
What is the easiest poppy to grow?
Beginners should focus on Shirley Poppies and Breadseed Poppies until their skill level increases. Popular cut flower options include “Shirley Double” (Shirley). Poppies are swoon-worthy for their delicate blooms that delight passersby. Pollinators also enjoy them, and they are a favorite for early morning walks. The beauty of the poppy patch is humbling and fascinating, as honeybees crawl over the blooms. Most poppies are easy to grow, and everyone should try growing a few. The beauty of poppies is undeniable and a great way to start the day.
Should I soak poppy seeds before planting?
Poppy seeds do not require any treatment before sowing and grow best when sown directly into the garden. Sow seeds 3mm deep and 30cm apart, keeping the soil moist but never wet or dry. Germination should take 14-21 days at a temperature of 16-24°C. Young seedlings need protection from pests, pets, and weather until established. The less formal’scatter seed’ method can also be used to sown seeds.
Can you put poppy seeds in a pot?
To cultivate wildflowers, it is recommended to disperse seeds across the soil surface, press them into the soil with a hand, or traverse the bed to facilitate germination. It is recommended that the seeds be watered with a fine rose, repeating this process during periods of drought, and that the growth of the plants be observed. This approach ensures direct contact with the soil and facilitates straightforward maintenance.
Can poppies be grown in pots?
Poppies can be grown in small to medium pots or planters with good drainage. Choose a pot that is 20-30cm deep and about the same width. Fertilize poppies in late winter or early spring with Scotts Osmocote® Controlled Release Fertiliser: All Purpose at the recommended rate. Remove spent flowers at the base of the stem to encourage further blooms. Poppies make a great cut flower when picked just as the bud opens, opening fully indoors and lasting well in a vase.
Do poppies grow best in sun or shade?
To ensure optimal growth and development of the poppy, it is essential to provide it with ample sunlight and well-drained soil. In order to maintain a vibrant garden, it is recommended that a variety of plant species, including annuals, be cultivated in flower beds. It is recommended that deadheading be performed in order to prevent seeding and spread. However, allowing poppies to seed will facilitate their spread and naturalization. Once the plants have reached the end of their lifespan, the stems should be cut back to the ground.
What triggers poppies to bloom?
Sunlight is crucial for poppy flowering, with a golden 6 hours of direct sunlight being ideal. Planting your poppies in a location where they can bask in the sun’s glory without obstruction is essential. However, excessive sun can cause stress, leading to scorched leaves. Consider a strategic shade during peak hours or move them to a spot with afternoon respite. Keep an eye on the thermometer to avoid extreme heat.
Feeding your poppy with the right soil composition is essential for its growth. Mixing organic matter like compost into your garden bed can enrich the soil, providing a nutrient-packed home base for your poppies. Good drainage is essential, as waterlogged roots are a no-go.
📹 Growing Poppies • From Seed to Flower
Enjoy watching a full season of my poppies, including the setup, maintenance, and life-cycle of the common poppy. === ⬇️ All …
I just sowed some Black Barley and poppies in a couple pots. Hoping they turn out good. I don’t seem to have good luck with poppies in the ground. Last time I got a few to grow but they were tiny like the size of a quarter! I have terrific luck with larkspur though. This year I don’t even need to sow them where they normally grow. They already self sowed!
This year was my first time trying to grow breadseed poppy, I planted them in a pot and before they germinated a squirrel dug around in my pot and once they germinated they all sprouted around clustered around the rim of the pot🤦🏻♂️ should I just let them do their thing or take it as a loss because they seem super crowded
Hi Brie! First of all, thanks again for such an enjoyable vlog as well as very educational. I bought this bag of variety mix of seeds, including poppy seeds. The name of the company Is Rocky Mountain Valley mixed seeds. Since there are 17 types of flowering seeds, which has different length of germination. My predicament is when is the right time for me to sow these seeds? I need your advice. Thanks again!
I grow poppies in my “parking strip” in Oregon. My poppies are so beloved by my neighbors that when people walk, ride or drive by they will comment on how they can’t wait to see for them to bloom and that they look forward to them every year! People stop by to take photos and ask questions all the time. I’ve even had people drop off cards of thanks and one lovely woman gave me a bouquet of flowers out her yard as a thank you! Like you, I feel good about what I’m doing. Its nice in these dark days of strife we can give back a little bright light of cheer to our fellow man and members of our own community!!
I love what you’ve done here. May I make a suggestion? Try leaving the spent flowers be, so they can self sow for next year. Also, leaving spent plants means there is food for birds and other wildlife. And the dried leaves and stems are used by birds as nesting material. Through trial and error, I’ve learned the only time to remove them is in spring, which allows the new growth from underneath to grow more easily. Thanks for the article!
I’m just getting ready to plant all kinds of poppies here in Vermont. They are frost resistant, and I prefer the Opium poppies the best. I do save most of my pods, because I love sharing them with my friends, and it actually does save me quite a bit of money. I have enormous flower gardens and use a lot of seed. I sprinkle them everywhere between my perennials and hope for the best. Thanks for a fun article.
I don’t know if you’ve cut or dug them up yet, but you should do chop and drop with these poppies. That way the taproot stays in the ground, breaks down, and helps to loosen the clay soil over time 🙇🏻 Also instead of weeding just cover the weeds with a sheet of plain cardboard and mulch on top of it. More organic matter gets added this way!
It’s so nice you grew flowers for your friends and neighbors to enjoy! I got a surprise poppy this year in a neglected planter. I was amazed they look so similar to the crepe ones the vets sell. I buy my vet Poppy every year but this year I didn’t see anyone out there. I must have been gifted by a bird to experience the real flower this year! 😁 Thank you for sharing! 🤗👍♥️🤍💙
OMG, I loved this article! It appeared in my recommended views, and I’m so glad it did because it came at perfect timing. I purchased a few packets of poppy seeds not long ago, but I realize it’s too late to sow them now here in Central Florida. Your poppy garden was gorgeous! Not only did it bring joy to the insects that help the world as pollinators, as well as those people fortunate enough to see it in person, I was thrilled by its beauty even in your article! ❤️
I am so glad someone else has trouble growing poppies. I’ve planted thousands of seeds using many different methods. What worked best actually was transplantation. I started bunches of them in one gallon pots. Transplanted them when they were about six inches tall. Planting directly in the soil was okay as long as I covered them. I live in east Texas zone 8b. Thanks so much.
I grow poppy’s long years, usually most of them self seeding,digging the soil end of the summer and trow the seeds where ever I want to grow them its really beautiful show for few weeks, some times they come up some odd places planted by wind, poppy seeds never die 10 years later some seeds have been germinated, when they seedlings not to mistaken them as weeds,, you have made a lovely garden for yourself and your neighbour’s, if you keep digging that soil every year eventually gets much better results, but poppy’s not that fussy really,Good luck and happy gardening,
Gosh what a beautiful article. I was absolutely captivated. I’m in Australia and I planted some poppies last week. They have sprouted but I live in an apartment so they are in pots, not sure how they will go. I found the cheapest way to buy poppy seeds is from the baking/ spice section in the super market. No idea what variety they are, can’t wait to find out.
Hi there! I did almost the same thing last year. Planted corn poppy seeds with a tri clover blend mix in the strip of grass between my sidewalk and the road. We had just bought this abandoned house and I had tons of projects so I just threw the seeds around over top of the area after roughly raking. So the seeds were competing with crab grass and whatever else was out there. It was just a ratty area full of garbage I had to pull out. Another difference is we have a medium sized maple tree blocking some sun. Planted in spring, by July I had beautiful poppies and clover through most of the area plus some “native wildflowers.” I’m in zone 5B and read I could plant in fall for an early spring showing. So just a few months ago, in fall, I dug up the entire area which was a lot of work as a lot of the poppies and corn flowers had very deep dandelion-like roots. I planted dozens of bulbs. On top of that, I sprinkled a mix of corn poppy seeds, California poppy seeds, and pandora poppy seeds. This time though I mixed all of the seeds in a big bowl with nice soil and then dispersed the mixture as evenly as possible over the buried bulbs. On top of this, I put a nice layer of hay. We’ll see how it goes! Looking forward to spring. I should add that last year I didn’t water as we didn’t yet have lengths of hose long enough to reach out front. Poppies didn’t come up in the area that was most shaded by the tree but the crimson clover plants did. Depending on how this year’s experiment goes, I may have to amend next year with another seed that will tolerate some shade.
So pretty and inspiring! I took on the task last year of developing my own devil strip, the neighbours absolutely loved it, and I received awesome comments throughout the summer. I hope to develop it further and fill it out more this year…you’ve offered some lovely, beautiful inspiration here. Guerrilla gardeners unite – let’s beautify our communities and offer much needed spaces for struggling beneficial insects!!
Great article. If you want to rehabilitate another piece of land like that, I suggest getting a large load of wood chips and spreading them on thickly – I mean like 12 inches – and letting it sit for a year. Some townships here in PA give them away, all you have to do is go to the township yard and pick up. The chips will break down on their own, but if you throw on a little dirt and water it occasionally, they will break down faster. Then you’ll have some soil to work with. I know most people are in more of a hurry and don’t want to wait, but if you have the time and patience, it really works. I planted a dozen different kinds of poppies this spring, still waiting for them to come up as it’s been unseasonably cold here in PA. Last year I grew California poppies and they came back, so I’m hopeful about all the new ones. I think you’re really onto something and hope experiment with planting other areas. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I also live in Texas, and have experience with clay soil, so I wanted to share a great tip: GYPSUM !!! It is a natural product, so great for organic gardens. And it comes in either a powder form, or granules. Either product works the same. Of coarse, it works best if you can till it in, or turn it into the soil somehow. But if that is not possible, simply apply it on top of the soil, and scratch it in. Or with grass, just broadcast the granules. Don’t try broadcasting the powder with a broadcast spreader tho! The powder gums up the whole works! Also, it may take longer to work if just putting on topically, but it still finds its way down into the soil. It does take quite a long while to produce results tho. Usually a minimum of 2 years!! So it’s a long term project for sure! But the benefits are how it breaks up the clay soil, helps to make the nutrients already in the soil available to plants, and helps somewhat with moisture retention. There are many other benefits too, but it’s better to look it up for the whole list. What it does with clay is truly a miracle! I’ve been using it for 5 years, and I still add it to my soil, grass too, at least 3 times a year. My soil is now soft, and crumbly, and 100% easier to work with! You may have to wait a long time to see the results, but it is Nature’s answer to hard, compact soil. Hope this helps! ♡ And your Poppies are AWESOME!!! ♡♡♡
Red poppies and blue cornflowers my all time favourites since a little girl of 4yrs. Now I’m 70 yes, and I want to grow my childhood lovelies once before I die..But like you I have hard dry clay soil in my part of Australia. Might add some lime and compost and basically learn from your growing of simply,humble field flowers. Thanks for sharing I’m reaally motivated to have a NATURE STRIP like yours (that’s what Aussies call that strip by the path and road) yours turned out to give so much pleasure to people,bees, insects, beetles, and birds. What fun..,Polly Parrot.
I had a great success growing poopies in Georgia red clay soil. During fall and winter I was digging into the flower bed all my vegetarian food leftovers, like potato peels, broccoli and cabbage stems. I made sure to mix my compost with the original clay once a week. I mixed the same kind of poppies is that you are using with the wildflower seeds from Home Depot. I had sown the seeds in February. The results were giant flowers lasting all summer and deep into the fall. I didn’t have to water. The rains went not so often in the summer as they are in the winter in Georgia. The organic material helps retaining water big time.
The bachelor buttons are terrific! These are gorgeous. Good work! I have bright orange oriental poppies in my front yard– no idea where they came from, they were just beautifully there one day. i rather rudely dug up a few and moved them to another part of the yard– they just flourished. In dry Utah summers, i find they’re incredibly tolerant. I just wish they bloomed more often than once a year!
I loved perusal this. When I lived in CT I made a border along the road similar to this and just loved all the plants in it. I never had a poppy though! So beautiful! And isn’t it rewarding to grow from seeds? So much more rewarding than buying plants someone else started, but sometimes that works, too! I planted pansy seed a few months ago and they are just getting their first set of true leaves! Hoping for flowers! THANKS for posting !
Poppies have much a special place in my heart, they’re the flowers that made me fall in love with gardening. I remember sitting in my granny’s front yard with my dog and just looking at these bright red poppy flowers. When it was time to harvest the seed pods, I’d be the one who got the job of breaking them open and collecting the seeds. Then my gran would take half to re-plant and my uncle would take the other half and make these delicious buns with the seeds on top! It’s crazy how one little flower can have such a massive impact on the memories of childhood. And now, thanks to you, I know how to grow them! Thanks! Thanks for attending my TedTalk. (oh, it turns out they’re my birth flower too!)
Yep, poppies are beautiful flowers! I had a home a couple of homes down which was for sale and wild Poppies in a huge hedge that was separating the property lines. In the middle of the night I cut down the pods and enjoyed the immense beauty of the flowers if you get my drift? I have a persistent back pain problem and now a lot of seeds! They’re not easy to grow. It’s like the less time you spend on them, the better they flourish…………
Years back a friend of mine give me a little plant of poppies from her garden.. I planted in the ground and to my surprise it grew. They are pink in color and when they are in full bloom they are about 5 inches in with. I never had seeing poppies that large before. I don’t know what kind they are but they are absolutely beautiful. That same year the plant died down in late July and I got very sad because I thought I had lost it. I cleaned the area where the plant was and put in some other flower.. One day when I was watering the flowers, to my surprise and disbelieve I saw a little plant of poppies sticking out of the ground in the same place I had planted the one my friend had given me.. Now when the leaves die down, I just trim them to the bottom of the plant and new leaves sprout in a matter of few weeks. Plus, they seeds themselves so every spring I have a flower bed full of stunning looking pappies. The down fault of those plants is that leaving in zone 8, we get to much rain and they don’t lost long.. However, I enjoy them very much when in bloom even if it is for a short while. Your sidewalk strip looks fantastic.👍👍👍 Now, I can’t wait to do mine.. 🌼🌸🌼
There is something very magical about poppies. I have 5 poppies which grew beautifully this year. We are going take some pods and then add a mixture of bee friendly seeds so hope for a garden strip like yours. We live in a retirement complex in the UK and our patch is part of the carpark which had nothing but weeds……. So we planted a few plants of different varieties and the poppy plants too. We got a beautiful display not only of our plants but other thing mother nature sent down for us. We will add to our garden next year with maybe sunflower seeds of different varieties and sprinkle some of the seeds from the poppies. Thanks for a wonderful YouTube watch.
Well done, you did an excellent job. What a beautiful sight and I bet the neighbours are grateful. The combination of poppies and cornflowers is magnificent. I have success with cornflowers this summer and should combine them with poppies next summer. They compliment each other from what I have seen in your article. Keep up the good work.
What a remarkable presentation. The presenter takes one from the seeding to the flowers in bloom in such a manner of ease that even I, myself, was able to follow along and grasp the essential and necessary information to properly set up my own road verge ((Hellstrip) Some 40 terms for this patch of soil.)) Actually, to set up the area with Red, White and Blue blossoms will offer a nice change to the area where these spaces provide us typically with dandelions, crabgrass and an abundant collection of seeding weeds annually. Looking forward to having our area becoming a drive by glimpse of what a little effort can provide. In addition, am also doing a strip of sunflowers ranging from the most tender and thin/short stems to those of 3 to 5 inch stalks with sunflower blossoms weighing typically from10 to 20 pounds with a diameter of 15 to 20 inches. Hoping for some pleasant summer blessings; and just maybe, an Edgar A. Poe, oops meant Vincent Van Gogh painting subject. As I recall he passed away in Juky if 1890 when my home may have been just completing its final touches.
Lovely! I adore the combo of flowers you used! I tried to grow poppies…planted seeds last year and got healthy greens but no blooms. The pot lasted this last year… Then I bought Iceland poppies that were growing in a 6″ container in January-they pooped out despite me bringing the container inside for our freeze up in dfw. I put the container back out and no blooms. I will try again. I scouted a new place I want to cast seeds. This was wonderful! Thank You so much!!
Planted poppy seeds for the first time, last autumn and the plants came up well. But we are having very cold weather, still, where I live in Cyprus, so have yet to see any flowers on my plants. Seen some wild ones flowering, in my village, so fingers crossed, mine won’t be too far behind. My daffodils and Iris are also just getting their flowering started.
I was just in awe, after you seeing this project of yours! I have been traveling back and forth to NC and VA for almost 6 years and every season I get to see poppies along the Highway and thought about planting poppies in our yard, which in the previous years got really frustrated and never been successful. I saw a lady’s front yard in Salisbury NC had a series of raise beds full of red poppies, We were able to get some seeds from her. I was stupid not to realize that each flowers has its time for each season. Your article was helpful, but please let me know which is the best time and the best way to prepare this flowers here in North Carolina. More power to you and God Bless! I hope to hear back from you soon!
Last year, in the beginning of the pandemic, while sitting in his booster seat, my 4 yr old nephew suggested that I plant him some California poppies. I got some seeds and scattered the whole entire packet in a nice 2 gal pot. I put the potted poppies at their doorstep on July 4th. The orange and yellow flowers looked really cheerful. Made my nephew smile everytime he saw it. It was my first time to plant a non-vegetable. 😊 – Zee, N. Cali zone 10a
Absolutely beautiful….I try to grow poppies for years either in the soil or in planters and last year I had 3-5 in my shady garden and they never came again. I already got new packs also this time Hungarian poppy, which is purple. When I was a kid you saw poppies everywhere with bachelors buttons and daisies in meadows and wheatfields.
Greetings from Ireland – just beautiful. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone did this – and it is really not too hard. We call Bachelors Button ‘Cornflower Blue’. It was one of the first plants I grew as a child and is very easy to propagate. I have a couple of different clumps of poppies in my garden and every year I just collect the seeds and throw them onto the soil and wait to see what happens the following year. Same for the foxgloves, which appear every other year, and the Canterbury Bells (Campanula) which would also look lovely in this display. Good luck!
THIS IS SO **BRAG-WORTHY***, I promptly SUBSRIBED. You SO deserve it! What a lovely article. Thank you for all your hard work. I have tried to grow poppies like yours for years. The only ones I have are orange and they spread by happenstance, not by anything I do. Sometimes they end up in the lawn and I just cut around them for the summer.
Wow !! You have worked wonders on that piece of land. The bright red poppies with the white and purple bachelor’s button flowers in between is a gorgeous display of flowers. I tried growing poppies from seed a couple of times…but failed.. But these flowers are so gorgeous…I’ll definitely try again
I love this so much! Breathtaking! And you’re doing your part to lift the silly poppy stigma. We evolved along side these wonderful Plants, a gift from nature that provides remarkable head turning beauty, a pollinator paradise, fabulous hot dog buns lol, and as a medicine it treats pain like no other. ❤ perfection.
My grandmother always said that you have to add gypsum to clay soil to get it to break up. You need to keep adding mulch as it breaks down into the soil. It will keep the water in the soil instead of evaporating. Ruth Stout said that heavy mulch, such as tree bark, needs to be 3″-4″ deep, while light mulch, like hay, needs to be 6″-8″ deep – much deeper than most people use.
On a side note, what a lovely and receptive connection to nature you’ve got and calm demeanour… Fair play too for making the effort to enhance a deserted bit of land…I have tried growing poppies before with limited germination success….would love them to grow in a drift like that. So, again what method makes them easier to grow, did you just till and water the soil and the toss the seeds around in that sunny spot, no stratification etc.? Or is the trick to order some Southern Texan weather (I’m assuming you’re zone 9/10)?? I wonder what difference it would make having sandier/clayier/gravely soils and using compost or none as most wildflowers prefer poor soil?
Yes. Poppies are a fav of mine. Shirley poppy blooms a long time. Especially if you deadhead. I have been sowing in 2 inch soil blocks and transplanted successfully. Perhaps flame weed your plot to kill off weed seeds next time. A sturdy garden fork is not hard to use instead of tilling. Mulch will definitely improve your soil.
Absolutely beautiful, All that hard work payed off. It’s a nice touch and I’m sure your neighbors are loving it. I have yellow poppies they are beautiful too but. I have tons of yellow ones everywhere I mean everywhere. I’ve killed some to thin spots for other flowers. Poppies are one of my favorites. I’m determined to plant again other colors,I’ve failed in the past. I Think you are a great story teller as well. I can’t wait till spring. Happy planting everyone!!!!
Amazing! I’m so happy you used seeds to great this magical space for everyone and everything to enjoy. After the wildfires we had last year here in California I decided to plant a pollinator garden in a 3’x10’ strip of unused land with yarrow, penstemon, and a couple of different sages. I can’t believe how many different beneficial insects there are now. I’m inspired to add some red California poppies and see what happens!
ohhhhhhhhhh! I Started Poppy this year for the first time inside, in little grow cells. I started with originally 50 plants after transplanting them to bigger pots I wondered why they kept dying off. I thought maybe they were getting enough light (which could also be a factor.) but now that I know they do better directly, ill do that from now. Here is to the 13 plants I have left! Hope they make it.
This was so helpful, thank you for sharing with us. It is so nice to read all the lovely comments too. Perhaps you should start a worldwide movement, the ‘Bringing Peace and Joy to the World … One Beautiful Flowerbed at a Time” … what a nice change that would be 😊. You mentioned that you expect the bed to self seed and grow again the next season, does that mean you let all of the plants just die down and left the dead foliage in place? Or did you remove the dead foliage and presumed that the seeds had fallen on the soil and will shoot next season? Thanks again
Looks like the ground I used to have… thank goodness I now live near alot of pines that amend the soil for me somewhat but there’s ALOT of rock because we’re right at the ancient glacier line from the last ice age. I’m gonna try again; I did it before in a raised bed that used to be directly under a pine. I’ll branch out around the property this time. Didn’t do anything but put seeds down and hope last time. Love these beauties!
Try growing sunflowers in that patch. They are supposed to be really good for the soil, as the tap root digs deep into the ground to break up the soil. When the sunflowers are done blooming/seeding, you could cut/chop up the leaves and stems to mulch the area, which would also provides excellent compost to the area.
Hey, I’m KennyWayne from Tennessee. I enjoyed this article & your demeanor. I love your devotion & care for the flowers. I just have a question, I see they started flowering in February (where are you at) will they live through the winter even though I sowed my seeds the year before. I am in Tennessee so we don’t always have hard winters (like we did this year) and even after a hard winter we still have some plants coming back, some have already started this early spring. I have a perfect area I’d like to start some. It’s not as cool as your devils strip lol but almost. Thanks again & will be looking for more articles from you. Big thanks from KennyWayne in Tennessee ✨
This summer in New England, I’m growing California poppies and white linen poppies. They are coming along. I can’t wait until they grow more and flower. 😊 The other flowers I’m growing are: sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, calendula, helichrysum, morning glories, bachelor buttons/cornflowers, marigolds, geraniums, petunias, gladiolus, nasturtiums, purple shamrocks, purple salvia and roses. Hoping to have a flower extravaganza in the next couple of months. 😂
You’ve made the space very chic in mixing the poppies in a spattering of wildflowers. This is also done at the highest elite levels of English gardens here in the UK. In case you’re interested, an excellent reference point is an equivalent space in front of Clarence House in London (Prince Charles’ abode). His mix of wildflowers and poppies is as good as yours!
I love this! I think the bachelor buttons complimented the poppies quite nicely! I found myself admiring the variety of poppies you planted; it was easy to notice from the article, but I’m sure I would’ve noticed if I were to pass by; your floral arrangement is absolutely beautiful! I honestly think you’re so talented and have good taste and a good eye! The music was a lovely touch! Thank you so much for sharing! P.S. I wish you were my neighbor! 💕
I have pink and white Amphora poppy and Black Peony Poppies this year so far. All should be aware, many are opium(Papaver somniferum) producing. If you live where I do, you wouldn’t get away with planting several of the breeds I have seeds for. I now live in apartment with a balcony, so I grow them on a balcony to bring on butterflies, bees etc.. Opium gum hunters and animals cannot reach them now. Last year none grew but this year I have about 15-20 sprouts. So far.
Just curious, how do you think the poppies would feel on a hill. I have a small hill beside my house that is just bare. I would love to fill the space with poppies and other wildflower variations but I am nervous that the flowers will dislike the incline. This article was so helpful and soothing to listen to.