This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Saturday 7 September 2013

California Poppy

A great low maintenance plant - California Poppy. I introduced California Poppy to the garden several years ago through scattering seeds around. I always enjoy the surprise of the plants popping up here and there, never knowing where the new seeds will scatter and take root each year. 

The seed pack I've used is called 'California Poppy Summer Sun Mixed' and the pack shows photos of four different flower colours (orange, yellow, red and pink). Only the orange ones have germinated in the past.

Left: California Poppy (Eschscholzia),with Silverdust. The seed pack says:

- easy to grow 
- sow direct outside
- poppy-like flowers with silky petals
- hardy annual
Self seeded plants. 
Above and Below: This year I bought another pack of  'California Poppy Summer Sun Mixed' seeds and scattered them about in early June. I was surprised to see plants appear with pink flowers. At first I thought I had created a new plant, but then I dug out the seed pack and realised they had come from the seed mix.  They are still a lovely surprise and I hope they will continue to self seed!

I'd definitely recommend scattering these seeds about!




Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.

10 comments:

  1. They're gorgeous flowers. They look so delicate, yet they're actually tough as old boots.

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  2. I have loads in my veg garden - they are so cheerful and low maintenance and come back every year - what more could a gardener want.

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  3. I grew some California poppies too - mine were monarch Mixed and aklso have some lovely colours

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  4. My neighbor has poppies so I have to have them. I'm not really a fan of any kind of poppies but I leave them in the garden anyway. The more the merrier :)

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  5. I also have some in my garden, from a pack but if they are so easy to grow I may expect some surprises next year:)

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  6. They really are beautiful and I like the thought of a pleasant surprise brought on by the scattering of seeds.

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  7. Me too. It's lucky that the orange ones are my favourite.

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  8. I am a native of California and grew up with poppies growing everywhere. They're one of my favorite flowers. In my zone 7 garden, I just throw the seeds out in late fall and they grow and bloom the following spring. They're beautiful and super easy. I never thought I'd see them growing in Ireland!

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  9. These are so pretty! I am just now getting into growing plants by seed, and will add these to my list of seeds to scatter about. I really like the pink ones!

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  10. I like good surprises in the garden such as flowers popping up that have self seeded. Your pink flower from your scattering method is very pretty.

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