Show us your poppy garden

Back to the poppies in the JI Earthart Gardens.
They are annuals and most of them were seed headed, just a few left in July when JI's bloom.
It mist have been a glorious sight in mid to late June just before the JI's began to bloom

We have JI's blooming from mid June to mid July so I'm hoping they'll mix well.

Eartheart was a feast for the eyes. You can see in this photo the absolute lack of soldier straight rows and how lovely it all is.

This was my favorite flower last year and when we went back for the 2009 Open Garden Day this past July it was one of her new 2009 introductions and I bought it immediately (along with her other introductions).


Now we'll return to poppies since somehow we got off topic.
Went online when I was tired last night and filled my shopping cart with over $40.00 of seeds but, thankfully, I did not press the "Buy now" button.

You've all got me crazed about poppies. How can I ever thank you?

When I put down the seed in December I guess I have to clear away any fallen leaves. Am I right?

Yes, just rake the leaves away and scatter seeds but not too broadly, gently step or tamp on the spots where youve seeded.
This will keep the seeds in their place pretty much.The micro freezing and thawing duering the winter will take the seeds to the depth thats needed for germination.
DONT weed 'em in spring. Look for bluegreen leaves with cut edges,
Thin out if you want.
I leave everything where it is and let nature do the selecting out.

Then that is what I will do. Thanks, Jo Ann.

You wont be sorry.

Ge, Is that how you sow your oriental Poppies? Do you do it in Dec or Jan?

I direct sowed twice last year.
In December and in March.
I had great luckwith somnifareums other varieties sisnt really germinate.
I tend to go with what works so I sowed seeds I gathered this year, just a couple of weeks ago.I wont bother to sow in March.
The order I just placed with OneStop will get sowen when the seeds arrive.
All I know is the seeds need to be on the ground and cold and frozen so anytime between now and March should be good.If you have a milder climate and March doesnt get down to freezing ,sow your seeds now.
The plants have been sowing themselves since August when the seed heads dried up and disbursed their crop for next year.

Thanks, Ge. I'll try your method with some of my seeds. Do you keep the area free of mulch?

Yes clean away mulch, sow the seeds,tamp them down, and dont mulch after seeds are sown.
They need to be frozen and on a growing medium,like soil.

This message was edited Nov 15, 2009 7:15 PM

Thanks, Jo Ann. I can use all of this information.

After saying all this.
The seeds I sowed he week of the 20th have germinated in the warm weather.(Days in the 50's,nights in the hi 30's)
Its either the poppies or a whole crop of unknown weeds in the horsemanuer we put down the beginning of Nov.
Hope they survive the January we are about to have.

Ge, Can you put some cut bottomed milk or soda bottles over them?

I'll give it a try altho the Jan-March bitter weather might take them out anyway.

This is an odd sight for December.

Thanks for a great shot! It's the promise of spring on a nasty December day.

were do you find all this poppy???any for trade

Dori, I'm still building my poppy patches so don't have any to trade yet. I grew some from seed and bought a number of them mail order from different companies and a couple from local nurseries..

Have you searched people's trade lists?

Pirl, I'm afraid those buds aren't going to overwinter and the one that got really tall, recently withered half way open.

All of my poppies in that bed have large lush green foliage as if it were June.

The ones in another bed went dormant weeks ago. Very strange as there are multiple varieties in both beds.

Isn't nature amazing? Our regular tomatoes were done weeks ago, probably the end of October or early November and yet the cherry tomatoes are still producing. Now they have a plastic bag covering them.

I'm always surprised at how the same cultivar performs differently depending upon the climate of each garden.

Stormy! YEP Poppies do that OP's look lush and stay that way all winter .If we get deep snow they flatten and look awful by aptil.In late April they put up another crown and blooms by late May and June.
I have a new plant with a bud on like yours.It will wither.
I dont know what causes off season buds but I worked in a greenhouse for awhile and horemones might be a part of the answer.
We grew Geraniums for wholesale(NO Iam not an expert) My job was to take cuttings and stick them in pre filled pots, and keep everything watered.He would use horemones to make the plants bloom in time for market,so they would show well.
I bought 1/2 price OP's from GC in June and they bloomed in July.They are making crowns now so I know they will bloom in June just like MOMNature intended.

Thanks, Ge. I've had an occasional off season bud before, but never a plant with 4 buds. My Poppies in the back bed, all went dormant & lost their foliage. They are older Poppies.

This somniferum poppy planted itself in one of my pathways last summer and I'm sure glad I let it grow. I did save a few seeds that I scattered in one of my Iris/lily beds, so hopefully will get more this year.

Susan

Hi Susan That looks like one from the Heritage collection.
I ordered them from OneStopPoppy.
Most were fringedin purples and pinks.The name was DropDead Gorgeous.
I think mixed somnifares include fringed types.
What a treat when they bloom.
These are mine where I direct sowed them last March.

Beautiful and I love your Bear! I think the poppy was called Lavender Heritage. I've ordered a couple others from the OneStopPoppy Shop for this year. I don't seem to do real well with poppies. but really enjoy the ones that make it.

Susan

Your zone seems to be OK.
Mine was the Heritage mix.There were some that didnt fringe

I never realized there are so many varieties of poppies. This thread has certainly been an educational lesson. THANKS TO ALL WHO POSTED THEIR BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS.

My Heritage Mix poppies are just starting.
This is my view from my bedroom window. These are direct sowed Venus annual poppies.

nice

Talk about fire-works.The Venus poppies are not quitting

They look so happy.

It's the eleventh of July and I have harvested the clump of red annual poppies.
Its sad but I am trying not to think of what that means because we have 3 more months of blooming,
Here they are with echies.

This is a collage of some of my poppies. Have a bee hive and they just love them

you forgot the picture