An extremely bright and, surprisingly, extremely unpretentious plant is the oriental poppy. However, we are not so rarely asked questions about growing and caring for this plant.
The title photo shows the Patty's Plum variety.
Oriental poppy is a perennial. The bush is quite large, up to 1 meter high, but the height depends on the variety. The stems are strong, powerful, bristly, straight. The leaves are well recognizable, with an expressive predatory indented edge (pinnately scattered), of two types, the basal leaves are larger, and the stem leaves are slightly smaller. The flowers are located on the stems one at a time, large, up to 18-20 cm in diameter. The classic color is fiery red with a black spot at the base.
Today, the colors are varied: from classic red to various shades of pink, peach, and raspberry. Colors atypical for poppies (that is, everything except bright red) due to the papery, fragile structure of the petals are distinguished by their originality. They have a light dirty brownish-gray undertone, which makes the appearance of the flowers a little alarming and dramatic.
The flowering period is not long - about 2 weeks. Flowers begin to appear at the end of May. The short flowering period and fragility of flowers are compensated by abundance and brightness. Possible re-blooming in autumn.
Photo
| Name | Papaver alpinum |
| Family | Poppy (Papaveraceae) |
Origin:
Europe (Alps, Pyrenees)
perennial
any soil
Planting and propagation:
Features of seed propagation:
- the seeds are photosensitive, so when sowing they are not embedded in the soil;
- germinate at a temperature of +18+24 degrees in the light;
- seeds germinate in 7-12 days;
- with the appearance of the first leaves, the temperature is reduced to +15+18 degrees, direct sunlight, waterlogging and temperatures above +25 degrees are avoided;
- Only young plants can tolerate replanting (optimally in the phase of two true leaves);
- self-seeding
15-25 cm
winter-hardy down to -28 degrees, perennial, often grown as an annual or biennial
moderate, without excess moisture
feeding
responds well to organic fertilizers
Flowers:
single, white or pale yellow, up to 5 cm in diameter, with 5 ovate-rounded, rapidly falling petals and many bright yellow stamens, fragrant
Leaf shape and color:
in a basal rosette, petiolate, oval in outline, single or double pinnately dissected, olive green
Plant Shape:
an erect plant with a rosette of basal leaves and several flowering stems, the above-ground part of which dies off after flowering
Decorative forms and varieties:
has several subspecies:
- Papaver alpinum subsp. burseri (Poppy Burcera) - native to the northeastern Alps, with twice or thrice pinnate leaves and yellow flowers;
- Papaver alpinum subsp. kerneri - from the southeastern Alps, with twice or thrice pinnately dissected leaves and bright yellow flowers;
- Papaver alpinum subsp. rhaeticum - from the central and southern Alps, with pinnate leaves and light yellow or orange flowers;
- Papaver alpinum subsp. sendtneri - from the northern Alps, with feathery leaves and white flowers (most common in cultivation)
there are also hybrids (Papaver alpinum hybrids) with flowers of white, yellow, orange, cream, light pink, red colors
Usage:
- for rocky gardens;
- for borders;
- for container growing;
- suitable for forcing in pots or for cutting (in winter, plants are kept in closed ground at a temperature not lower than 0+3 degrees, forced out from December for 8-9 weeks at a temperature of +13+15 degrees, or to obtain more compact plants - in a cool place at +5 +10 degrees, 2-4 weeks longer)
the plant can be poisonous as it contains alkaloids amurenzin and amurenzinin
Cake with poppy seeds, raisins and nuts
This unusual cake is ideal for a family celebration.
Ingredients:
- Eggs – 4 pieces;
- Nuts – 100 grams;
- Milk chocolate – 75 grams;
- Sugar – 260 grams;
- Cream – 600 milliliters;
- Raisins – 100 grams;
- Flour – 100 grams;
- Egg yolks – 6 pieces;
- Butter – 140 grams;
- Poppy – 130 grams;
- Vanilla – 2 grams.
Preparation of poppy seed cake:
Take 4 yolks and beat them with 50 grams of sugar until an airy, homogeneous, white mass is obtained. In another bowl, beat the whites with another 50 grams of sugar.
Then mix flour, poppy seeds and 1 gram of vanilla. In three additions, add the whipped whites and the flour-poppy mixture into the yolk mixture, one at a time. Gently mix the contents of the bowl with a spatula so that the whites do not settle, adding 100 grams of melted butter. The result should be a fluffy and airy mass.
Take a biscuit baking pan, line it with parchment and pour the dough into it. Bake the biscuit for 45 minutes at 75 degrees.
When the biscuit is ready, leave it to cool in the mold, and after cooling, take it out, turn it upside down and cut it into four horizontal cakes.
Take 6 yolks and grind them with 160 grams of sugar and 1 gram of vanilla until smooth. Boil the cream; when it boils, mix it with the yolks and simmer over low heat until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. Remove from heat and add raisins and nuts.
Take a pan lined with parchment, place the first cake layer on it and soak it in the resulting hot cream. We do the same with the rest of the cakes. Place the finished biscuit in the refrigerator for an hour, then turn it upside down onto a plate.
Take chocolate and 40 grams of butter and heat them in a water bath. When the glaze has cooled, pour it over the cake. Bon appetit.
Oriental poppy planting in open ground
Best tips for growing oriental poppy on site
When choosing a place to plant oriental poppy, there are several recommendations to consider. In principle, this plant is completely unpretentious to the composition of the soil, but it prefers loose and sandy loam soils. Poppy has an extremely negative attitude towards areas where water stagnates, because excess dampness can lead to rotting of the roots.
It is best to grow oriental poppy in open and sunny areas - there it feels best. Slight shading of such a plant is also allowed.
Once every five to seven years, it would not be a bad idea to organize a poppy transplant to a new place of residence. This perennial grows greatly during this time, so during such a transplant it can be propagated by dividing the bush. Some gardeners have successfully separated a small piece of rhizome from the side and use it for rooting. This procedure is best carried out in May (before flowering) or in the summer - when the plant has finished blooming. But according to the rules, you need to remove the bush completely along with the earthen lump and divide it into several sections. They need to be planted at intervals of seventy to eighty centimeters. It is worth noting right away that such plants will need to be covered for the winter.
The place for planting poppies must be prepared in advance: dig thirty to forty centimeters deep, eliminating weeds. Before digging, you should add humus (from five to ten kilograms) to the soil, as well as a mineral mixture (thirty to fifty grams). The given volumes must be used for each square meter of land.
It must be remembered that in the place of the previous poppy growth, even the tiny roots of this plant must be very carefully eliminated, because they may well grow after some time.
Possible difficulties during cultivation
Growing terry poppy is not difficult, but many may encounter problems such as:
- too wet soil: excessive constant watering can cause the plant to wither and die;
- poor soil: with a lack of nutrients in the soil, the bushes grow small and weak, the flowers are not very large and less bright;
- dense planting: the bushes are crowded, which affects the decorative appearance of the plant, they become smaller;
- poor care: if wilted flowers are not cut off in time, they will cause the appearance of seed pods. In this case, the bush completes the vegetative period and stops flowering. Trimming faded flowers prolongs the flowering period of the bush;
- the wrong place for the plant: a corner of the garden that is too dark will cause a lack of buds.
Description of the oriental poppy
Names of flowers that can be planted with seeds before winter
Oriental poppy has thick, straight stems with few side shoots. The stems, depending on the variety, grow from 40 cm to 90 cm in height, often fleecy, with whitish bristles. The leaves on long petioles are elongated, lanceolate, dissected into several sharp segments, often serrated. Most varieties of Oriental poppy are described as tall plants with long stalks, densely covered with stiff bristles. The buds are egg-shaped or wide oval, about three centimeters in length.
Large round petals are painted in all shades of red, sometimes marked with a black spot at the base. The filamentous stamen is almost black with oblong blueberry-colored anthers. The plant blooms in early June. After flowering it forms a seed capsule.
The most popular oriental poppy varieties best for growing:
- Perrys White - with white flowers;
- Salmon Glow - double flowers of an orange-coral hue;
- Beauty of Livermere - petals have a black spot on a bright scarlet background;
- Cedric Morris - with ruffled petals of soft pink color, having a dark spot at the base;
- Garden Glory - double, ruffled, salmon-colored flowers;
- Marcus Perry - orange-scarlet with ink spots;
- Sultana - the main color of the petals is pink, the base is a darker tone;
- Pizzicata - large flowers come in different shades - from fawn to raspberry-lilac tones;
- Black and White - white corrugated petals with a black base;
- Picotee - the main background of the petals is white, bordered along the edge by a wide red stripe.
Raffles Miss Piggy
This perennial oriental poppy will be the best background for bush aster, cornflowers, and oregano. irises, delphiniums, nivaria, yarrow. Snow-white double flowers with a dark center will never get lost in group plantings and will help other plants demonstrate themselves in all their glory. The variety is suitable for decorating rockeries and mixborders, as well as for cutting. A bouquet of large white poppies is a symbol of goodness and pure intentions.
Botanical description of the oriental poppy
When can you plant zucchini seeds in open ground?
A spectacular perennial with huge flowers, it is part of the Poppy family. Under natural conditions, it actively grows in Central Asia on subalpine slopes and in mountain forests. Unpretentious to soil and climatic factors - tolerates drought and frost perfectly. Used in the design of parks and garden recreation areas.
Characteristic
It looks like bushes, the height of which is from 60 cm to 1 meter. The height of the peduncle is about 1 meter.
| Plant parts | Peculiarities |
| Stems | Erect herbaceous plants covered with bristly hairs |
| Leaves | Collected in a basal rosette Regular arrangement Pinnately dissected and pubescent Color bright green |
| Flowers | Large sizes, like saucers Diameter 20-24 cm Corolla of 4 or more petals Various colors, depending on the variety:
In the center there are velvety black spots near the base of the petals. Many dark stamens |
| Peduncles | Height 90 cm-1 meter, foliage weak |
| Fetus | Multi-seeded capsule Cover - carved lid |
| Root system | Rod-like Slightly branched |
Reference! Flowering lasts about a month. Starts from the last ten days of May until mid-June. Oriental poppy completely loses its decorative effect from the beginning of August. After cutting, the flowers do not fade for 2-3 days. Due to its rather large flowers, it is planted as a monoculture and included in compositions with other plants. Used on Moorish lawns, colorful lawns with bulbs and grasses.
Place Pigalle (Papaver Or. Place Pigalle)
This red oriental poppy is a worthy competitor to the above-mentioned favorite of gardeners. It is in no way inferior to it in the beauty and brightness of its delicate petals. The high position in the table of ranks is evidenced by the luxurious black crown of stamens in the center of the corolla. As a noble representative of the family, Place Pigalle requires special treatment. It grows well in sunny areas, reliably protected from the wind, and only on fertile soils.
Poppy is safe
In general, there are several dozen species of poppies, beautiful herbaceous plants of the Poppy family - and you can theoretically safely grow most of them on your site.
Some of them are beautiful-flowering annuals, others are perennials. Some of the species are especially rare and are under protection, many others in the wild inhabit entire endless fields, usually in arid places - steppes, semi-deserts, deserts, dry rocky mountain slopes. But poppy species are found in temperate latitudes, subtropical latitudes, and less often in cold zones. In autumn, poppy seeds ripen numerous small seeds, “packed” into pot-bellied fruits and capsule heads.
People noticed this plant a long time ago and began to cultivate it - at first only because of the large, single, beautiful flowers on long peduncles. Later it turned out that poppy seeds are an excellent filling for confectionery products and a source of poppy oil.
Today, food poppy is mainly cultivated in the Czech Republic and Turkey.
For many ancient peoples, the poppy played an important role in folklore and mythology; it was a symbol of fertility, sometimes sleep or death (we will clarify why later).
The most common species that grows “savage” in our territories in fields and along roads is the self-seeding poppy, also known as field poppy, also known as wild poppy (Papaver rhoeas).
This annual is considered almost the most undemanding flowerbed plant. Its bright, large, fragrant flowers with “silk” petals are usually bright scarlet, but they can be purple, white, or pink, for which they are highly valued by landscape designers. And many varieties of this poppy with double or cut petals have been cultivated. It blooms from April to July and bears fruit in August-September.
The seedling method is not used to grow such poppies, because they grow well when sown directly into the ground in spring. Some gardeners prefer to sow poppies before winter so that seedlings appear as early as possible in the spring.
Before sowing, poppy seeds are stratified and then scattered on moist sandy loam or loamy dug soil. The distance between plants should be about 25 cm. After 4 weeks, the seedlings need to be thinned out, and then regularly watered and removed from weeds.
Perhaps the only requirement when planting poppies is to avoid stagnant water and close groundwater. The plants themselves are unpretentious and are perfect for Moorish lawns or natural-style gardens.
In addition to the annual self-sown poppy, alpine poppy, Atlantic poppy, holostem poppy, etc. are grown all over the world as ornamental plants.
But why are some types of poppy banned? And what kind of poppy is this?
Papaver, what kind of plant is this?
Anyone who hears this name for the first time will never guess that we are talking about an ordinary poppy, which is translated from Latin as “Papaver”. In modern floriculture, this genus name has long been established and most species and varieties are also designated by the Latin name Papaver.
- Poppy (papaver) is a beautiful herbaceous plant of the Poppy family with various shades and textures of flowers. Recently, densely double varieties of peony papaver have become especially popular.
- Mention of the poppy dates back to the ancient Romans, and some legends and beliefs surprise with their originality and unpredictability. So, in one of the legends we are talking about a person committing a grave sin - killing his own brother. This happened under the cover of darkness, and even the almighty god of Sleep (Hypnos) could not prevent the misfortune. After this, Hypnos became angry and stuck his staff into the ground. In that place, a beautiful flower appeared - a poppy, which has special properties that allow it to change consciousness and cause drowsiness.
- The ancient Greeks called the papaver flower “a symbol of sleep and death.” The ancient Egyptians also knew about the unusual narcotic properties of poppy, who prepared medicinal potions from poppy.
- In many Little Russian songs and epics, the elegant and fragile poppy is a symbol of beauty and youth.
- The distribution area of the unpretentious and cold-resistant papaver is quite extensive: from the continental subtropics to the mountainous Caucasus. The culture prefers arid areas with light soil. Often, papaver can be found in the steppe, semi-desert or rocky areas.
- The papaver flower is used not only for landscape decoration, but also for cutting, although the plant does not have a long shelf life and its petals quickly fall off after 1-2 days. When making dry bouquets, dry decorative poppy boxes are used.
Beautiful decorative varieties of poppy that do not contain narcotic substances have become especially widespread in Russia. The last representatives of opium poppy species are prohibited for cultivation by Russian law of 2010.
When to sow oriental poppy
If annual poppies bloom in the same year, then perennial poppies will most likely show their buds to the world the next season (for example, if you sow the seeds in the fall). If you sow in the spring, the flowers on the bushes will appear later than with autumn sowings. By the very beginning of summer, poppies bloom within just 2 weeks. The poppy fruit is like a box covered with a “lid” on top; when this box dries out, small holes form between it and the lid. If you leave boxes with seeds on the bushes, then by self-seeding, seeds will spill out through these very holes. This cycle can be repeated annually if the boxes are not collected.
How to collect oriental poppy seeds? There is nothing complicated here: you need to wait until the boxes are completely dry, carefully trim them, and store them in a tight fabric bag. You can leave small, grayish-black seeds directly in the boxes, or you can remove the lid and pour the seed into a glass container. Sometimes in areas you can see flower heads wrapped in gauze cloth - this is also one of the ways to collect seeds, which does not allow the seeds to spill onto the ground. As you know, poppy seeds can be used not only for growing flowers, they are also a food product that is quite widely used in cooking.
Boxes with seeds, photo:
How to sow oriental poppy? Seed material is buried in specially designed beds or immediately directly into the ground in the spring, if before winter, then in the fall. As mentioned above, after sowing, flowers appear in the second or third year.
The seeds themselves are very small, they don’t even have to be deeply buried, you can just press them lightly and cover them with special material for plants. If the seeds were sown to obtain seedlings, then at the stage of appearance of 5 young leaves, the plants can be dug up and planted in flower beds or beds. However, most often this seedling method is not used, but the seeds are immediately sown in the intended permanent place of residence of the flower.
Oriental poppy, photo:
There is an opinion that for subsequent comfortable germination, poppy seeds need stratification, that is, a “shake” with cold. That is why experienced gardeners recommend sowing in early spring, when the likelihood of frost is still high. If you live in regions with a mild climate, sow poppy seeds in the fall, so the seeds will receive the necessary stratification and will sprout safely when spring arrives. At the site of the future flower garden, simply loosen the soil with a rake, scatter the seed, sometimes it is mixed with sand - this is at your discretion. The seeds are sprinkled on top with a thin layer of loose soil. The main thing is not to deepen them too much, since later they simply will not have enough strength to stretch up. The planting site should be watered, but carefully, without flooding it with water.
Propagation of papaver from collecting seeds to sowing them
Peony poppy is propagated by seed. Honestly, if you plant this plant in your garden at least once, then you don’t have to worry about the need to re-sow. The culture spreads extremely easily throughout the area by self-seeding.
For the planned collection of planting material, a couple of seed pods are left on the desired bush, removing all the others in a timely manner and preventing them from ripening. If growing poppies by self-sowing is not part of your plans, you can put thin cotton bags on the boxes. Then the seeds will not fall to the ground, even if the boxes open ahead of time.
If you need a poppy of a certain color, it is better to purchase seeds at a flower shop.
You can collect the seeds when the papaver leaves begin to turn yellow. Keep planting material in a cool, dry place in paper bags. The germination and quality of fresh seeds is much higher; over time, the risk of getting weak plants and low germination increases.
Papaver can be planted both in spring and autumn. True, these methods are slightly different from each other; let’s look at each in more detail.
Sowing in spring
They begin preparing the area for sowing as soon as the snow melts and the soil warms up to 3-5 degrees. The soil is well loosened, cleared of debris and roots, and fertilized. Poppy seeds are small, so it is recommended to first mix them with sand and then scatter them more or less evenly over the soil.
The plantings are carefully sprayed with water and covered with polyethylene to protect them from possible cold snaps and also to create a greenhouse effect.
Planting in autumn
This is pre-winter sowing, in other words, it is carried out in already cooled soil, right before the first snow. Seeds are scattered onto a previously prepared area and covered with dry leaves. Before the warm weather arrives, you can forget about crops; natural stratification will do its job.
You can lose planting material if you sow it in soil that has not completely cooled down; the grains will germinate, but the inevitably approaching cold will simply destroy them.
Winter sowing has a number of advantages. Firstly, the sprouts will appear much faster, which means you are guaranteed to get earlier flowering. Secondly, thanks to stratification, the plants will grow stronger and more viable.
Young shoots, regardless of the sowing method, are covered with film to prevent the possible return of spring frosts. After the sprouts have formed 3-5 true leaves, they are thinned out, leaving 10-20 cm between the plants.
Propagation of a perennial plant
Reproduction of a flower does not bring much trouble. This can be done in two ways - by seeds and vegetatively, that is, by dividing the bush or cuttings. The first method does not allow the transfer of varietal characteristics, while the second preserves all the characteristics of the parent plant.
Use of seeds
Obtaining flower seeds is quite easy. They are sold in any flower shops and nurseries. You need to sow the seeds in the same place, since the plant is unlikely to survive replanting. The best time to grow oriental poppy from seeds is spring or autumn.
After the capsule ripens, the seeds are removed. You can determine whether a fruit is ripe by its appearance: it will turn brown, dry out, become brittle and crack easily. Damage can be caused by wind, due to which the seeds fall out of the box too early. In this case, you can wrap the fruit with gauze in advance.
The seeds are removed from the openings of the fruit and placed in a paper bag. They need to be stored in a cool place, without high humidity. Possible storage in dry flower boxes. The seeds are taken out just before sowing. If you don’t want the poppy to propagate randomly by sowing around the area, it’s better to cut off the seed pods in advance.
Vegetative method
Dividing the bush can lead to the death of the plant, since the root lies deep in the soil and is difficult to replant without damage. Dividing is usually done in the summer, when the plant is still or no longer blooming. The bush and roots are not cleared of soil, but are immediately planted in a prepared place, first dividing it into parts.
Another method of vegetative propagation is cuttings from rosettes or shoots. Before rooting the shoots in the soil, they are left in a disinfectant solution or stimulant. It is better to cover the newly planted shoots with film. This will create favorable conditions for further germination. After some time, they take root and are transplanted into prepared soil to a permanent place.
The second vegetative method is rhizome cuttings. The flower is dug up and several thick roots are divided into parts. At the top the cutting is cut clearly horizontally, while at the bottom it is cut diagonally. The cuttings are planted vertically in the prepared soil and completely buried. If you do not lower the temperature below 10° and regularly moisten the soil, the first shoots will appear in 2 months. After this, the plant is replanted.
Diseases and problems
Poppies often affect:
- Powdery mildew.
- Black spot.
The plant is relieved of these diseases by spraying with preparations containing copper (copper sulfate, Maxim or Topaz fungicides, copper sulfate). Severely affected plant parts are removed and burned.
To prolong flowering, cut off the seed heads without allowing the seeds to ripen.
Why doesn't poppy bloom?
There are not many reasons; in general, this plant willingly pleases with flowers without much effort. If there are still no flowers, then most likely:
- The deadline has not arrived (plants grown from seeds can only bloom for 2 or 3 years).
- The place chosen for planting is too shaded.
- The roots of the plant are damaged (they are fragile, and can easily be damaged by active loosening).
After flowering, the poppy is cut off, the stems and leaves are shortened almost to the ground, and by autumn new, albeit smaller, leaves will grow. If there is a desire to collect seeds, then pruning is postponed until the seeds ripen.
Features of planting
Before planting the plant, you need to make sure that there are no other varieties of poppy nearby. The presence of other species nearby can lead to loss of varietal qualities, as poppies begin to cross-pollinate. Varietal qualities, such as color, terry, corrugation, texture, may be lost.
Soil preparation
Before planting a plant, you need to understand that it does not tolerate any movement due to the structure of the root. It can grow in one place for more than 10 years, so you need to carefully choose a place and exclude all possible reasons for further transplantation.
It's better if the place is open. A large amount of sunlight should fall on it, since in nature the flower grows in fields and meadows. Water should not stagnate in place, since if the area is constantly flooded, the root will begin to rot and the plant will most likely die.
Partial shade is allowed, but the place should not be completely shaded. Insufficient sunlight will cause the plant to wither and wither. Growth will stop and the flower is unlikely to bloom.
Before planting the plant, you need to fertilize the soil and remove weeds. You can also loosen the soil and be sure to dig it deeply, since the main root of the poppy grows quickly deeper. Fertilizers are used:
- compost;
- mineral supplements.
In general, oriental perennial poppy is an unpretentious crop. Rich fertile soils are not necessary for its growth. The plant will thrive in sandy loam soils. The quality of the soil, its permeability and nutritional value affect the general condition of the plant, as well as the size of the flowers and their number.
Planting seed
Due to their size, poppy seeds do not germinate well when planted deep. They are usually sown on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a little soil. In order to speed up the process, gardeners cover the seeds with glass or film. After the plant germinates, the cover is immediately removed.
It is important to keep the area moist. Water should not stagnate, otherwise it will lead to rotting of the seeds.
It is better to water with a sprayer - this way the seeds will not leave the soil under the pressure of water, and the humidity will be maintained at a moderate level.
After the plants have sprouted, they need to be thinned out. It is customary to leave 10 cm or a little more between adjacent flowers. After some time, thinning is repeated and the healthiest poppies are left. Now the distance between them should be 35 cm. In the future, all free space will be occupied. Oriental poppies will bloom next year.
The transplant must be done carefully. Damage to the roots can lead to the death of seedlings
Flower growers advise moving the plant to another place after at least 5 leaves appear on it. It needs to be replanted together with a lump of earth. The larger it is, the higher the likelihood that the plant will take root in a new place and not die.
Experienced gardeners plant valuable varieties with seedlings. Seeds are sown in containers and placed in a warm place with sufficient lighting. Poppies peak after the appearance of the second true leaf. After the fifth leaf appears, the plants along with the soil are transplanted to a permanent place.
How to decorate landscape design with poppy flowers
A green lawn, a flower garden with group compositions, a stone edging, a mixed border and single plantings - poppy is good everywhere.
1. Single landings. The oriental poppy is especially often planted in a chaotic manner; its large orange inflorescences in the middle are decorated with a square spot of black. This variety can grow up to a meter in height in almost any soil. Moreover, it is a kind of long-liver - it sometimes grows in one place for up to 10 years.
Oriental poppy has many garden forms: bright pink Aglaya, carmine red Watermelon, silky white Perris White (photo 2), lilac-violet Pettis Plum. This variety of colors allows you to diversify almost any landscape with bright single plantings.
2. Classic flower beds. To decorate them, field poppies are most often used, which can reach 70 centimeters in height and are distinguished by spectacular inflorescences. In addition, the smaller tulip poppy is extremely beautiful, and the Siberian one will surprise with its gorgeous flowering until the autumn frosts.
Phlox, daisies, nasturtiums, daisies and marigolds can coexist with poppies in flower beds and front gardens
However, it is important to take into account the order of their flowering so that the combination in the composition is the most successful. A long flower garden is also often decorated with poppies.
3. Natural model of a garden with a stream. By designing a garden with a natural landscape design, you can complement the landscape with a shady meandering stream. Poppies of any color are planted on the shore, as well as phlox and yellow evening primrose. A little further from the stream, arrays of coreopsis, irises and daylilies will look beautiful.
4. Country style. Poppies, mostly wild, will successfully highlight the charming simplicity of the rustic style in landscape design.
They are given a place on the lawn or lawn, along with clover, dandelions and grass
You shouldn’t make such areas too well-groomed, but it is important to arrange a comfortable relaxation area - put up a small gazebo or a wooden table and hemp stools
5. Scandinavian style. A distinctive feature of this style is its ease of perception and care. Simple geometric shapes, small lawns and flower beds, rockeries, massive boulders and paved areas. And there must also be natural lawns, which is where poppies are planted. They successfully create bright contrasts against the background of a restrained color scheme of natural shades.
There should be a lot of poppy flowers, but you can also diversify the lawn with daisies, decorative flax, cornflowers, carnations, bells and lupins. Wicker furniture is placed on a luxurious natural carpet - you can sit and enjoy the splendor!
6. Garden-modern. In the laconic style direction, there were also beautiful poppies, despite the fact that this version of landscape design only accepts a limited set of plants. Clear shapes and lines, straight paths, curved arcs of forging - all this would be imperfect without flowers. Poppies are planted in mixborders against a background of dark green shrubs. The palette of flower beds is diluted with lilies, irises, peonies and daylilies
It is important that one tone does not dominate; this style values moderation and harmony
If faded poppies leave unattractive empty spaces in the flower garden, they can be filled by simply planting annuals.
Is it possible to grow poppies in the garden?
I really like poppies, so relatively recently I purchased a couple of bags of seeds of various varieties.
But I’m afraid to sow: one of my usual ones had red double poppies blooming last season, so the police pulled them all out, and later she was called to the prosecutor’s office many more times.
So I’m worried that suddenly the same thing might happen to me.
The law prohibits the cultivation of only soporific poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is also called opium poppy, on household plots and summer cottages.
Outside, it is a herbaceous annual plant 30-100 cm high. The leaves of the plant are alternate, pinnately dissected, and have oblong-lanceolate lobes.
The flowers are often white or pink, sometimes red, they have four petals and many stamens.
The fruit, like other poppies, is a capsule.
In order to accuse someone of unauthorized cultivation of a narcotic potion, you need a conclusion from an expert botanist that the plant grown is actually poppy.
But attention to nuances is not always characteristic of ordinary police officers. Moreover, if there is an ergonomic excuse to improve statistics
Your friend was convinced of this.
This leads to a conclusion: in addition, it is better to grow decorative poppies with caution.
A couple of years ago, our editor received a letter from a reader who grew poppies in a flower garden and was able to fully “enjoy” communication with the local police thanks to the initiative of her neighbor.
The ladies quarreled over something, and the neighbor found a win-win method to take revenge: she told the district police officer that they were growing a narcotic potion next to her and supplying it to those who wanted it.
If you don't do anything illegal, you'll probably get away with minor troubles and fear. But there is also a second danger - drug addicts themselves notice everything that can be used.
Perhaps, as we know, in addition, harmless drugs, after completing a sequence of manipulations, can be transformed into a source of “dreams,” and most types of poppy contain at least a small percentage of narcotic substances, albeit significantly lower than the soporific poppy.
Why not raw materials for “experiments”?
As a result, I am reminded of an incident that happened to one of my grandmother’s friends. The old woman sowed a little poppy in the garden to bless it in the church.
Her garden was not on the corner, it was not visible from the street, so she was amazed when one morning she found a “visitor”.
If I were you, I would prefer not to take risks. But, if among your seeds there is an Orange variety with bright orange petals, I think it is possible to plant it - it is unlikely to lead to unwanted associations.
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Poppies in the garden - dangerous beauty
Poppies are stunningly beautiful plants that have captured the hearts of many gardeners. But it's not that simple. Among these fiery beauties there are species that are prohibited from growing in private gardens. Let's figure it out together.
In June, these plants amaze with their colorful flowers, which can be large and small, simple and double, brightly colored and calm, pastel colors.
Only one question arises: can this plant be grown in gardens? We all know that the cultivation of opium poppy is strictly prohibited in many countries.
A poppy flower bed on your property can cost a hefty fine or even lead to imprisonment - it all depends on the size of the flower bed. Agree, it’s a sad prospect.
Types of poppies prohibited for cultivation
Let's find out which poppies should not be granted registration in your garden. These include all types that contain narcotic and psychotropic substances. This:
- poppy (Papaver somniferum),
- bristlecone poppy (P. setigerum),
- bract poppy (P. bracteatum)
- and, alas, the most beautiful member of the family is the cultivated oriental poppy (P. orientale).
The unpretentious and winter-hardy oriental poppy is enviably beautiful. But be careful with this beauty: the plant contains the alkaloid oripavine, which is a toxic substance.
Recent studies have shown that it contains the alkaloid oripavine, which is classified as a toxic substance.
By the way, forbidden fatal beauties can be identified by the size of the seed pods: if they are large, then you should not mess with such plants.
What poppies can be grown on the plot?
But what should you do if you really want to recreate a clearing on your property with poppies, cornflowers, daisies and other meadow herbs? Take heart, because the genus Papaver has more than 100 species, and only a few are prohibited. You can choose from annual and perennial poppies.
The most famous representative of the first group is considered to be the poppy (P. rhoeas). It fits perfectly into natural-style plantings.
This annual blooms profusely from June until autumn. Less common are the stunningly beautiful annual modified poppy (P.
commutatum) and peacock poppy (P. pavoninum).
Among the perennials, it is worth highlighting the bare-stemmed poppy (P. nudicaule), which blooms from May until late autumn.
Depending on the variety, its flowers are double and simple, white, yellow and orange, with a diameter of 2.5-6 cm (in the compact variety 'Popsale' they are as much as 10 cm in diameter).
So, as we see, there are plenty of legal poppies. Choose yours!
A classic summer tandem - red poppies and blue cornflowers. To recreate such a lawn, select a larger area - this will make the composition look especially impressive.
Poppy 'Helen von Stein' petals in bud look as if they are crushed. As the flower opens, the petals become fully erect.
Holostem poppy colors the planting incredibly brightly. He is especially good in the company of his fellows.
Poppy modified 'Ladybird' blooms from July to September. In the photo it is harmoniously complemented by spurge and decorative onions.
Unpretentiousness is their strong point
Poppies are photophilous, so choose sunny places for them. These plants are also cold-resistant, and perennial species are also winter-hardy, so you can sow the seeds directly into open ground in early spring (winter sowing is also recommended).
As for the soil, these beauties are undemanding to it. And their maintenance is minimal. It comes down to loosening, weeding and watering during dry periods (poppy does not tolerate stagnant moisture).
But “pets” love to eat: feed them with organic and mineral fertilizers, then the leaves will be rich green and the flowers will be large and bright.
Poppies do not tolerate transplantation because they have a taproot system. Therefore, sow the seeds immediately into the flower garden and thin out the seedlings later.
Agrotechnics of cultivation
Garden peony poppy can be classified as a plant that is resistant to soil drying out. The powerful taproot system is capable of producing the moisture necessary for papaver, even in the driest periods. These flowers tolerate stagnation of water in the root system much worse. For this reason, it is not recommended to plant it in lowlands, and in the event of prolonged heavy rains, it may be necessary to temporarily additionally drain the soil around the plantings with pebbles or expanded clay.
For lush flowering, a large amount of nutrients is needed, so a mandatory care procedure is not only timely weeding, but also additional enrichment of the soil with mineral and organic fertilizers. They need to be carried out at least 2 times a month.
Tall poppy bushes may require staking during active flowering. To do this, a peg 50-70 cm high is dug next to each plant. The garter is carried out carefully so as not to damage the rather fragile stems.
Papaver is an annual plant; in the fall, bushes that have lost their decorative appearance are removed along with the rhizome, and the soil in the flowerbed is carefully dug up.
Perennial oriental poppy
Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the poppy family. A beautiful perennial with bright large flowers.
The plant has straight, strong stems up to 1 meter high. At the root, the leaves are larger, pinnately dissected, 25-30 cm long. The leaves are light green, slightly pubescent. Higher up on the stems the leaves are smaller.
Flowers on strong single stems are bright red, cup-shaped, up to 20 cm in diameter, with black spots at the base of the petals. It blooms at the end of May and blooms profusely for 2-3 weeks.
The fruits ripen during the summer, emerge into the openings of the seed pods and give multiple self-seeding. If the summer is long, the poppy may bloom again.
The plant propagates in different ways: by seeds, cuttings or root division. The seeds should be sown in early spring; they usually germinate within two weeks. Sprouted seedlings are planted when they have 2 true leaves. If climatic conditions allow, it is better to plant the grown seedlings immediately in a permanent place; you can temporarily plant them in peat pots.
Poppy prefers open sunny places, but can tolerate some partial shade. It is not picky about soil quality, loves loose sandy loam soils, but can grow and bloom in loamy soils. In general, this perennial is very unpretentious and does not require much care or frequent watering. It does not tolerate stagnant water or overwatering; the roots may rot. It responds well to fertilizing with organic and complex mineral fertilizers. Blooms in the second year. In adulthood, transplantation is difficult to tolerate.
Poppy is also propagated by cuttings; for this purpose, side shoots are taken in the form of small rosettes, which grow over the summer and are planted in well-moistened soil; after 2-3 weeks they take root.
Perennial poppy has several varieties and forms: the flowers can be double in diameter up to 10 cm, varied in color - orange, white, pink, lilac and, of course, red.
Poppy, as a rule, is not affected by pests. Susceptible to the following diseases: downy mildew, root rot, leaf spot.
Poppy is grown as single plants in rockeries, mixborders, and planted in groups on lawns. Perennial oriental poppy looks impressive in summer bouquets, but does not last long in vases.
Planting and care
Like all other poppies, the oriental beauty prefers a sunny place. It can grow and bloom well in the shade and tolerate periodic droughts (although this is undesirable for varietal plants).
Almost any soil, the only exception is that poppies do not tolerate increased dampness and stagnant water, so care should be taken to ensure good drainage. Plants are planted at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. Although mature bushes are quite voluminous, the distance for some varieties should be increased to half a meter.
The only care required is watering, moderate fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, and shelter for the winter. Despite its cold resistance, the plant is not immune to severe frosts and can freeze out in severe winters.
Description of the species
Oriental poppy is a beautiful perennial herbaceous plant, which is considered to be native to Western and Central Asia, as well as the Caucasus and Turkey. Its second name is small-leaved poppy. The plant belongs to the Poppy family. In the wild, the flower is found in open places with sufficient lighting, such as fields.
The plant has a thick, erect stem. It lacks branching, but has pubescence in the lower part. The height of the poppy depends on the variety, but generally does not exceed 110 cm. The basal leaves are petiolate, about 30 cm wide, and lanceolate in shape. Stem ones are sessile and smaller in size.
The pedicels of the oriental poppy are 30-35 cm long. They are bristly, with a thickening at the base. The buds are also covered with bristles and have an elongated shape. The corollas of the flower are quite large and red. The petals come in a variety of shades, depending on the variety. The core is black. Poppy flowers bloom in May and June.
The fruit of the plant is a capsule containing many small seeds. Despite their spectacular appearance, oriental poppies delight the owner for no more than 3-4 days, since the flowers are very fragile. The petals quickly fall off, and only bare green boxes remain.
Gardeners value not only the beauty of the oriental poppy, but also its medicinal properties. The plant managed to interest breeders with its external characteristics only at the end of the 19th century. Since that time, active breeding of flower varieties has begun, differing in size, shades of petals and other characteristics.
Variety of varieties
The varietal diversity of the plant is enormous. Poppies differ in color, the presence of terry and jagged petals, and much more. Varieties of oriental poppy that are most popular among gardeners:
- "Allegro", or Allegro. It has orange flowers collected in a rosette. The bushes are tall, compressed, compact, up to 70 cm tall.
- "Diamond", or Brilliant. The bushes are tall. The flowers are solitary and red. The variety is known for its frost resistance. The disadvantage is that it is very sensitive to excess moisture.
- "Pizzicato", or Pizzikato. Flowers in pink, orange and white shades. The variety is low growing.
- "Border Beauty", or Border Beauty. The variety is frost-resistant. This is a compact plant with semi-double large flowers. Color - scarlet.
- "Rozenpokal", or Rosenpokal. The bush is very tall, up to 100−105 cm. The flowers are ordinary, pink. It is distinguished by the absence of a black spot. Frost-resistant.
- "Beauty of Livermere", or Beauty of Livermere. Peduncles more than 110 cm long. The color is scarlet.
- "Blue Moon", or Blue Moon. It has very large flowers up to 30 cm in diameter. The height of the bush is about 100 cm. The color is pink, with a bluish-blue tint.
- "Beauty Queen", or Beauty Queen. Peduncles are more than 95 cm. The flowers are saucer-shaped. Orange color.
- "Mrs. Perry" or Mrs. Perry. Pink colour. Peduncles up to 100 cm.
- "Kleine Tangerine", or Kleine Tanzerin. Low growing plant. The flowers sit tightly on the bush and are salmon-colored, corrugated and terry.
- "Black and White", or Black and White. The color is white, with a black spot at the base. Flowers are corrugated.
- "Cedric Morris", or Cedric Morris. The color is purple, with a black core, the petals are corrugated. Up to 85 cm in height.
Varieties
There are more than a hundred varieties of oriental poppy in the selection, which are highly decorative. There are various forms - terry, semi-double, simple. The color range ranges from fiery to delicate cream shades. The petals differ in their edges - corrugated, carved, jagged. Light varieties are planted in lunar gardens, orange and fiery varieties are appropriate in compositions with irises, geraniums, and cinquefoil.
Popular and favorite varieties
| Name | Peculiarities |
| Allegro | Bushes up to 70 cm Flowers simple Color orange-red |
| Diamond | Shoots 0.9-1 m Fiery flowers with black spots at the base |
| Olympia | Stems 0.9 m Double flowers Color light red |
| Border Beauty | Compact bushes about 60-70 cm Semi-double flowers with 30-36 petals Scarlet color |
| Fatima | Large flowers Rich salmon color |
| Garden glory | The flower resembles a ball due to its lush doubleness. The color is reddish. |
| Little dancer | Flowers 15-17 cm Soft pink color |
| Pizzicato | Large flowers 18-20 cm in diameter Color lilac-pink, whitish, lilac Black spots at the base |
| Rosenpokal | Large bushes up to 1 meter Flowers simple Purple-pink petals |
| red flowering | Large flowers 18-22 cm Bright fiery color Silk texture of petals |
Flower growers love these varieties:
- Beauty Queen;
- Garden Glory;
- Picotti;
- Allegro;
- Black & White;
- Blue Moon;
- Sultan;
- Marcus Perry;
- Kerlilock;
- Mrs Perry;
