Poppy Love

I am wildly, madly, deeply in love with the oriental poppies High Country Gardens has for sale right now. The whole damn assortment is gorgeous--I may just have to get one of each--but I'm particularly lusting after 'Patty's Plum.'  Oh, lordy, look at that color.  I pick up my credit card with trembling fingers and surrender to temptation....

Comments

[Eva]

I was just lusting after the 'Patty's Plum' myself. Along with about 50 other plants that I don't have room for right now. :(

[Nancy Bond]

The Oriental poppies are all very showy!

[Rosella]

It's not just the flower in that photo, although it's gorgeous! It's those floofy soft bud casings -- are they calyxes (calyxi?)? Very temptacious photo, that!

[Donna]

It happens to the best of us.:)

[Cosmo]

wow--I love poppies, too--some weird memory of the Wizard of Oz (thought they were dangerous in the movie, right?) But they never survive here--I have them for the season I buy them, but they don't come back. Still, even if I have to use them as annuals, they're glorious.

[May]

Poppies float
On the air
Translucent petals
Too tender to touch

[Reading Dirt]

Oh, those plum ones are gorgeous, aren't they? My only beef with poppies is that their blooming season is so short. That and the flowers are so fragile once they're cut that they don't last in a vase, even though you want to bring those massive, colorful, crepe-paper flowers into the house.

The one pictured above looks exactly like the big, beautiful, blowsy poppies I grow from seeds that originally came from my grandmother's house. I've got some smaller lavender ones, too.

[dirtchick]

I have tons of beautiful re-seeding poppies. After they are done with their beauty and after the interesting seed-heads....they look like junk. Dry brown floopy. Anyone have any ideas for other things to plant once the poppies are done? Can I cut back the brown junk ?

thanks for any ideas

[susan harris]

Yeah, dirtchick, I hear ya. In my part of the world poppies look good for 1-2 days, tops.

[Old Kim]

Poppies go dormant in August. It's time to cut them back all the way. Gaillardias, crocosmias, rudbeckias are good partners for late summer color. I've heard a couple of people say that Patty's Purple has been a dud. I wouldn't buy it!

[Michele Owens]

My friend Gerald has edged his vegetable garden in a really spectacular variety of oriental poppy. It's tomato red, like everything I really like in life, and it's taller than most, with more finely cut foliage in a more interesting blue grey. I keep searching for this plant without any luck. Clearly, I am just going to have to beg some.

[Judybusy]

Reading Dirt, I wonder if you have Flanders poppies? Those re-seed in my garden as well, go for about three weks and then look awful. I pull them up, sprinkling seed for next year's show. I grew Angel Wings last year, and they, too, have re-seeded!

[faithling]

I've been experimenting with "bread" poppies, aiming for beauty and seed for eating. Last year got a packet from FEDCO, "Ziar," that had pale lavender blossoms -- a not-so-exciting washed-out color but the plants were vigorous and sprouted multiple stems with big seed heads. Delicious on crusty bread! This year I tried a purple variety "Hungarian Blue," from Botanical Interests. Nice looking blooms but doesn't appear to be as productive. We'll see. Maybe I should breed them for the best of both!

[Glenn]

Patty's Plum is not so great. It might be a good item in a "Goth Garden", but the color is not nearly as vivid as the picture. Looks faded when brand new...not a good quality in a poppy.... my $0.02.

[dirtchick]

Thanks all

Did a little looking at Flanders and don't think I've got them. Mine are taller. But I will look into those companions. I did read about searing the ends of fresh picked poppies with a lighter to seal the milk white juices and therefore double the life of the poppies in a vase. Maybe I can try next year.

[Jean Dickson]

I guess I have the same ailment -- every summer I take photos of my poppies, although they look pretty much the same as they did last year, but I can't bear the thought that they will be gone in a couple of days, so I take a photo... is there a gardening counselor in the house?