When large enough to handle, transplant the seedlings into 7.5-9cm (3-3.5in) pots or module trays. Sow Icelandic poppy seeds from February to April or August and September on the surface of moist seed sowing compost and cover with a fine layer of vermiculite at a temperature of around 18-21☌ (65-70☏). Grow on the seedlings in cooler conditions of around 10☌ (50☏) and plant outside in late May or early June when the last frosts are over, after hardening off – gradually acclimatising them to outdoor conditions – for 10-14 days. Lightly cover the seed with more compost and keep moist. Seeds can also be sown indoors in March/April in cell or plug trays filled with seed sowing compost at a temperature of 21-24☌ (70-75☏). When large enough to handle, thin out seedlings to 15cm (6in) apart. Water the soil regularly, especially in dry periods. Sow the seeds in well-cultivated soil that has been raked to a fine tilth in drills 30cm (12in) apart. You can also sow in August and September to give plants that will flower earlier the following year. Sowing time is usually from late March to mid-May. The hardy annuals are incredibly easy to grow, as you can sow them directly outside where you want them to flower. Lots of named varieties are available with flower colours from white all the way through shades of pinks and plum to deep red. The flowers are up to 15cm (6in) across and produced in late spring and early summer. The perennial Oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, makes large, substantial plants up to 90-105cm (3-3.52ft) high. It grows up to 60cm (2ft) high and flowers from late spring to mid-summer. Papaver nudicaule, the Arctic poppy or Icelandic poppy, is a hardy but short-lived perennial, usually grown as a biennial or even an annual.Cultivated varieties are safe to grow in the garden as they don’t produce opium! Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, is also a hardy annual, growing to 60cm (2ft) high and flowering throughout summer.Papaver rhoeas, the field poppy, is a hardy annual, growing up to 40cm (16in) high and flowering from June into September.The perennial, Oriental poppies prefer deep, fertile, well-drained soils. Poppies will grow well in either a sunny or partially shaded position.Īnnual and biennial poppies will grow in a wide range of soils, including very poor and even stony ones, where little else grows well. Other plants have the name poppy in their name, such as the blue poppy ( Meconopsis) and Californian poppy ( Escholzia), but true poppies are species and varieties of Papaver. Papaver rhoeas is used as a modern-day symbol of hope every autumn and especially on Remembrance Sunday. It is perfect for providing colour in a sunny situation where little else will grow, and for creating cottage gardens and is excellent for attracting bees and other pollinating insects. There are several types of poppy, from the annual Papaver rhoeas, called the field poppy, corn poppy or Flanders poppy, and which includes a specific type called Shirley poppies, to those large-flowered, perennial Oriental poppies.The wild corn poppy brings a bright splash of red to fields, but it looks great in gardens too. Most poppies also produce ornamental ‘pepper pot’ seed heads, which can be cut and used for indoor decorations. These flowers, swaying in the breeze, are the very essence of the British summer. Poppy seeds are edible, high in calcium and have many culinary uses.Blousy blooms with colourful, almost paper-like, petals are the hallmarks of many true poppies – particularly the perennial Oriental poppy – Papaver orientale. Seed heads are also beautiful in dried arrangements. Uses: Poppy is a beautiful, though short-lived, cut flower. Gather the dried seed heads in late summer for decorative dried flower arrangements. How to Harvest: For fresh arrangements, harvest when buds are swollen and showing colour. When to Harvest: Harvest fresh flowers in early Summer and seed heads in late Summer. Thin to 6” apart when true leaves appear. How to Plant: Direct sow seeds 1/4" deep. When to Plant: Direct seed in Spring when soil can be worked Soil Preference: Average, moist, well-drained soil Growth Habit: Upright growth to 2 feet height, branching stems with feathery leaves and 3-4” flowers. Very likely the poppy that inspired Lieutenant Colonel John McRae's "In Flanders Fields," written in Belgium in 1915 during the First World War. 65 days to maturity.Ĭorn Poppy is the quintessential wild European poppy.
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