Re: Oriental Poppies. Waste of Space?
Robert raises some good points about oriental poppies. Although I tend
to like many "thistly" plants, particularly the architectural sorts,
I too, do not grow many of these poppies, though I need them for seed
production. They do take up a great deal of space in the garden & one
wonders whether it is worth it for the paucity of bloom produced over
a relatively short period. However, a point to note, one does not have
to put up with the foliage once the bloom is finished. If you do not
want to wait for the seed, cut the entire plant to the ground
immediately after flowering. Fresh foliage will reappear in the fall,
which, by the way is the only time to safely move them.
If you have these reservations about Papaver orientale, do not bother
with P. bracteatum, which I also grow. This one is native to the
Caucasus and is extremely similar to P. orientale in appearance, size,
etc. except it is even more thistly. Flowers slightly earlier. Blood
red flowers, with large black spots, early summer.
The poppies I prefer are the huge clan of self-sowing, often biennial
smaller sorts, right down to alpine stature, particularly if you are
able to give them free reign to self sow and perpetuate. P. faurei is
a lovely little thing from Japan with greenish-yellow flowers, P.
radicatum is also worth growing; and then there are all the "alpine"
sorts in a range of colour from white to pink, more normally yellow or
orange. P. anomalum 'album' is a one footer in pure white, proving
hardy even in Zone 3 in the Canadian prairies. This one is a true
perennial. Many of these will bloom most (if not all) season, usually
the first year from seed. A big plus over orientales.
Kristl
Gardens North Perennial Seed
N. Gower, Ont. Zone 4
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