opium poppies....

**Sharon Hanna h*@direct.ca**

Aaaah, the poor little opium poppy. In my back lane, the big orange clump
of cousin Papaver orientalis flowers are beheaded and butchered annually by
gangs of roving teenagers and god knows who else. I have often wondered if
I should post a sign telling that reads something like "These are NOT opium
poppies, please don't butcher them". 

But wait- they do have white sap, and I wonder if they don't have a tiny
BIT of the opiate in them, but I suppose I'll never know, as I'm too lazy
half the time to use the edible food I grow, let alone process a poppy
head. Anyway, here in Canada, we are allowed to wantonly and freely romp
about in fields of Papaver somniferum.  :-) Meanwhile, our governing
agencies are busy restricting the use of kava-kava, valerian, etc....you
know - the really scary herbs.   

S

Sharon H. Hanna
Writer & Urban Agriculturist
Member, Garden Writer's Association
(604) 736 1889

Ms. Hanna's seed catalogue writing & recipes:
http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com

Water-wise gardening/Canadian Wildlife Federation July 2002:
http://www.wildaboutgardening.org/en/whats_new/ten_commandments/hold_water.htm

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