Choose Glowing Poppies This Spring

Angel's Choir


Heirloom Pepperbox


Dusky Rose

Of all the old-fashioned flowers that welcome the spring, poppies are the most brilliant—they glow like stained glass when the sun shines behind them in early morning or late afternoon. Although their silky petals look delicate nodding on their wispy stems, poppies are both easy to grow and surprisingly hardy.

Cultivated since ancient times for their beautiful blossoms, edible seeds or as medicine, poppies appear in mythology, poetry, and paintings, symbolizing everything from fertility and decadence to blood and memory. Recent breeding has increased their range of form and fantastic diversity of colors.

While many people love cheerful yellow-orange Native California poppies, we also offer this species in a palette of multicolored shades, including vivid tropical colors and lovely pastel shades. Shirley poppies, mostly single and red in the wild, now come in doubles of pink, salmon, white, and lilac. Or you can treat yourself to the giant peony-like blossoms ranging from white to dark maroon in the French Flounce mixture, the ethereal pale pink/lilac of Hungarian Breadseed poppies or the vivid hues of Heirloom Pepperbox.

California poppies are particularly well suited to cutting since they last longer in the vase than other annual poppies. We offers this species in a palette of multicolored shades, including vivid tropical colors and lovely pastel shades.

Legion of Honor


French Flounce


Tropical Sunset

Poppies grow best in moderately rich, well-drained soil, and can either be sown in fall or early spring, depending on your climate. In cold winter areas, where the ground freezes hard, plant seeds in spring as soon as the soil can be worked; in mild winter areas, you can make two sowings, the first in late September to early November, and the second in early spring.
 View "Poppies: Modern and Heirloom" for info on how to grow poppies.

In the Trial Garden: Getting Ready for Spring Planting

Looking forward to spring, Trail Garden Manager Lindsay made up a slideshow showing how we construct our critter proof raised planting beds. Gophers are the most common scourge in our area, but this method will also work well to discourage moles and voles.

See these step by step instructions in our current blog post:

Building a Gopher/Mole/Vole Proof Raised Bed

Printer Friendly (.pdf) Version
 

Recipe of the Month

A very light and subtle tasting soup to showcase fresh green broccoli. Good hot or chilled.

Fresh Broccoli Soup

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Best Wishes,

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