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Irresistible Reasons to Grow Poppies (Favorite Flower Pictures)

Published on November 10, 2022 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

This post contains affiliate links.
Read full disclosure statement here.

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If you love gorgeous flowers, consider growing poppies in your home garden. Blooming early in the growing season, they definitely steal the show.

For more ideas, also see this list of fast-growing flowers to start from seed.

Close-up of giant red poppy in the garden.

Grow Poppies

Red poppies in cottage garden.

This is simply about the essential, swoon-worthy, beautiful, soul-restoring service that the poppy plays in the spring garden. It’s a show stopper of the best kind.

Waiting until the noisy spring flowering bulbs have faded out and before the icons of a vibrant summer garden have begun, poppies demonstrate the power of one and how brilliant repetition can be in a garden.

Which is my way of saying, I am smitten.

Come with me as we go from bud to bloom to seed production. Each stage is equally interesting and beautiful.

Want to buy poppy seeds? Shop here for Poppy Seeds at Botanical Interests (lots of varieties).

Poppy | Papaveraceae family

Herbaceous, flowering plants ~ annual, biennial, or short-lived perennials

Popular Species

  • Eschscholzia californica (California poppies) – reseeding annuals; perennial in zones 8 to 10.
  • Papaver rhoeas (Corn, Flander, Shirley poppies) – reseeding annuals
  • Papaver nudicaule (Iceland poppies) – cold-loving, short-lived perennials (zones 2 to 8)
  • Papaver orientale (Oriental poppies) – perennial zones 3 to 8
  • Papaver somniferum (Somniferum poppies, “bread-seed” poppies) – annuals

Basic Care

  • Sun: full sun 6+ hours or more each day.
  • Soil: well-draining soil
  • Propagation: seed, root cuttings (Oriental poppies).
  • Seed Sowing & Germination: see seed packet for instructions – varies by species
  • Shop Online: Buy poppy seeds | Botanical Interests (US shipping)

BUDS

After the spring flowering bulbs have faded, these bursts of colour start to appear.

Red poppy flower bud.

As the petals unfurl, a masterpiece is revealed inside.

Red poppy at peak bloom time.

The bold colors command all the attention.

Cluster of bright red poppies.

Blooms

Look at the red and orange colors! They are perfect with the jewel-toned peonies nearby.

Brilliant red and orange poppies in garden.

Here a sea of orange poppies surround the birdbath.

Orange poppies with bird bath.

Assorted types of flower seeds to start indoors in winter.

Related: 30 Flower Seeds To Start Indoors (Late Winter & Spring)


From Flower To Seed

Close up of red poppy flower.

Take photos daily and witness the mysterious transformation from bloom to seed production. The secret lies in the middle of the flowers.

Red poppies with organza bag.

To ensure I save the best seeds, I mark the best blooms with organza bags—because the best flowers have the best genes. Later on I’ll place the bags over the flower heads to catch the seeds.


Favorite poppy flower marked in the garden for future seed saving.

Related: Simple Trick to Save the Best Seeds from Your Garden


Poppies marked for seed saving.

While red poppies are the classic color, they come in all sorts of colors and values.

This ruffly coral poppy is as lovely as a peony or rose.

Coral poppy flower.

As the blooms begin to fade, the flower petals look like watercolor paintings.

Pink poppy flower.

While peak bloom time is lovely, post-peak is its own wonderful thing.

Red poppy just past peak bloom time.

And then, like magic, the seed pod reveals itself. What an intriguing work of art.

Poppy starting to produce seeds.

We have no excuse not to fall in love with nature.

Poppy seed head.

And poppies never disappoint.

Listen

Lest we forget.

Red poppy.

Poppies are a symbol of remembrance to commemorate fallen soldiers and all who have served to protect our rights and freedoms.

November 11 was originally called Armistice Day. It is now Veterans Day in the United States, and Remembrance Day in Canada and the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries.

Learn more about how this wild plant became an important symbol of remembrance in this episode of the Empress of Dirt podcast.

NEW! Click play to listen:

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Red and orange poppies in the garden.
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Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
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