You can choose from approximately 120 different varieties of poppy including annual, biennial and perennial flowers. They come in a wide choice of colours - sow a mixture of poppy seeds for a naturalised wildflower garden look, or make a dramatic statement by sowing a single colour en masse. The Flanders or field poppy (papaver rhoeas) is the simplest to grow, and is best known as a symbol of remembrance for soldiers who gave their lives in the first World War. It’s an annual, bee-friendly variety that’s ideal in a wildflower garden. It’s an absolute jaw-dropper and loves the Highland soil and climate. Laura bought me mine so they’ll always be special, however, neither of my sisters are able to grow this stunner where they live which, from a sibling rivalry point of view, is very satisfying.”

Thin out seedlings quite ruthlessly once they are large enough to handle, to about 5in (15cm) apart, as overcrowding will produce weedy plants. Place the roots in the planting hole and adjust the planting depth so that it is planted at the same depth as it was originally growing and the top of the roots are level with the soil surface. The large leaves are worth a mention, as they have a visible nap and are properly bluish-green. 6) M.‘Strathspey’ Field poppies require sand, loam or chalky soil which is free-draining or a potting mix which provides suitably free-draining conditions. Even the foliage is worth a mention, for the leaves are cordate, have wavy margins and are of a silvery sea-green tone.

How to sow poppy seeds

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°C (65-70°F). When large enough to handle, transplant the seedlings into 7.5-9cm (3-3.5in) pots or module trays. Grow them on in cool, well-lit conditions and, when well grown, plant outside 30cm (12in) apart after hardening off. If the flowers are much smaller than you were expecting for the variety you are growing, this can often be because of a problem with light, as poppies need plenty of sun. 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. Annual poppies will grow from seed to bloom in their first season. Perennials are more likely to develop their root systems in the first year and flower in year two or three. Biennials will often bloom in their first years if planted early.

Those lapel pins and small artificial flowers you can see around Remembrance Day in the UK are modelled on this poppy species, which still blankets some World War I battlegrounds and burial grounds during the summer. 1 Imperial War Museums. (n.d.). Why We Wear Poppies On Remembrance Day. Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/why-we-wear-poppies-on-remembrance-day 2) P. somniferum Usually, however, rainfall will be sufficient and field poppies will not require any additional care. Fertilising The hardy annuals are incredibly easy to grow, as you can sow them directly outside where you want them to flower. Sowing time is usually from late March to mid-May. You can also sow in August and September to give plants that will flower earlier the following year. Welsh poppies are easy to grow in part shade with neutral to slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil and prefer areas with cool, damp summers.

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For perennial Oriental poppies, water well during the first year whenever the weather is dry. In subsequent years, watering during prolonged dry periods may be needed to keep plants growing well. Mulching around the plants in late spring will help to conserve soil moisture and keep down weeds. Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, produces masses of seeds each year after the tissue paper flowers fade. The pods can be collected and seed kept until the following year, or sprinkle the seeds from the pepper pot capsule around the garden. Papaver orientale is a reliable perennial. Deep roots feed the rosette of leaves and strong flower stems that these clump-forming perennials produce each year in early summer,' says Paul Cook curator at RHS Harlow Carr. The plants are relatively diminutive at 30-45cm and the bowl-shaped flowers are only about 5cm wide, occurring in light and bright tones of yellow, orange, white and scarlet, without any dark marks or blotches on the petals. Listed objectively because of its unquestionable beauty, the opium poppy, for better or for worse, is very easy to grow and bears very decorative flowers.