opium poppies and lupin

great colours this year!

Yes, great colors!

Lilith: Are those Danish Cross poppies?

hmm not sure, they might be victoria cross or something, they were a freebie from a magazine, they are supposed to be a very old variety, just brought back for the jubilee

Lilith: These are the poppies I grew last year: http://davesgarden.com/showthread/195317.html

hmm, they might be them then! they look very similar

well ladies you have taken my breath away. if you can find it in your hearts to send me some seeds, i would love to attempt to grow them here in zone 5. i have started my first ones the iceland mix and would be happy to send you some seeds.

i'm so excited about all the new things that are blooming in my garden this year, it is like a birthday surprise each day. :) and i love birthday surprises. :) i like any surprises. :) even when i know what they are going to look like i am enthralled with each flowers beauty again and again. thanks for sharing ladies.

hey weezin, has that studly moose come back again?

i would but not to the usa, sorry debi, too many restrictions, don't wanna get into trouble

I've sent seeds to usa with no problems, just remember not to write seeds or anything on the letter. I sent 2 types of seeds to Poppysue 5 days ago, and she already got them yesterday. :)

could we not get a fine (or the recipient get a fine) if discovered though, evert? that's what i'm afraid of. :/

Maybe in Australia... :P

I think if they find the seed they will just burn them and pass the envelope on without seeds. But I think it is not very common, think how muych work it would be check all the envelopes open them etc. Anyway, it doesn't say anything about sending plants or seeds to USA in the Finnish postal site. Only cotton seeds are prohibited to send.

I would like to try some, but it impossible to get seeds here in the US. Since they are opium I would not risk sending them, since you might worry about the DEA, however, they look like oriental poppies to me. I found an on line site for opium poppies and they have smaller non ruffled flowers. In Europe, I think they have them wild in many places. I like things that reseed like that. It is fun to have them keep coming back. I found out if one tires to grow pot in ones garden, they can confiskate your entire house. It is not worth the risk, just to have a pretty plant when so many others are risk free.
Bug Girl

The real issue seems to be importing the opium poppies, or any seeds these days. It's all rather stupid, since we'd have to grow great fields of opium poppies to produce illegal narcotics. Ironically, many people in the US depend on opiates to manage pain, but it's he illegal trafficking of drugs that causes all the fuss.

Bug_Girl & debi_z: Many somniferum seeds are still sold in catalogs in the US. I've noticed Thompson & Morgan restrict certain somniferum import to the US, but not others. For instance, peony poppies (double somniferums) don't seem to be an issue. Even T & M will sell them in the US.

There is also a lovely somniferum that goes by the name of "bread seed poppy", it's redeeming quality is a lower opium content to the seeds, making them more acceptable for culinary use. Once you grow the somniferums, they will reseed, or you can collect seed from the pods to replant the next year.