The Oriental influence in home and garden decoration has increased the popularity of the Oriental poppy.
To meet the demand, there are hybrids of beautiful colors which, despite their delicate appearance, hold their own against wind and rain.
Today you can have new varieties in bright orange, pink, salmon, and claret shades, even pure white, in addition to the old-fashioned brilliant orange ones.
The tissue-thin cuplike flowers measure 5” to 8” inches across, and stem length varies, according to variety, from 18” to 44” inches. Low ones are delightful in front of flower borders; tall ones are splendid for background positions.
Where And When Oriental Poppies Bloom
Flowering starts in May or June, and when the flowers have passed, the foliage dries and disappears for the summer.
Growth usually begins in early fall, and in warm climates, the rosettes of fernlike leaves remain green over winter, continuing growth in the spring. In the North, the fall-produced leaves are killed by frost, but new growth appears again in spring.
Oriental poppies are usually planted in late summer or fall, but pot-grown plants, wherever available, may be planted in early spring.
Whenever you plant (and some of the best varieties are obtainable only from catalog specialists in late summer and fall), give Oriental poppies deep, moderately rich, well-drained soil, to prevent the fleshy roots from decaying. And choose a location where they will have sun or light shade.
Before Planting
Before planting, dig the soil deep, then space the plants (crowns) 12” inches apart and cover them with 3” inches of soil.
The plants should remain undisturbed for several years to develop their full beauty. Small flowers and matted growth will indicate the need for dividing and transplanting in the years ahead.
Culture consists of keeping weeds down, feeding with any good bulb or potato fertilizer each spring, and watering in dry spells during their growing period. In the North, mulch the plants with marsh hay or straw after the ground freezes in fall.
Among the choice varieties are the following:
- Barr’s White and White Splendor, best of all the whites
- Arthur Curtis, a very deep red
- Helen Elizabeth, a soft, glowing pink
- Salmon Glow
- Crimson Pompon
- Watermelon, pink
- Tangerine, a pure bright orange
Since Oriental poppies die down in summer, keeping a label for each plant is wise.
Interplanting With Annuals And Perennials
Knowing gardeners also interplant them with quick-growing but not dense annuals, such as phlox, stock, bachelor’s button, and snapdragon, which will fill in the bare spaces.
Others combine perennials with them—kinds whose foliage remains after the poppies die.
Perennials that bloom with Oriental poppies and are often used with them are the following:
- Peony
- Bearded iris
- Heuchera
- Delphinium
- Dianthus
- Foxglove
- Painted daisy
- Bleeding heart
Another possibility is gray-leaved artemisia, the well-loved dusty miller. Its billows of gray foliage, so pretty and cool-looking in the summer border, nicely camouflage the spaces left by the poppies.
44659 by E. F. S.