3 tips on how to grow Poppies

The vivid red and delicate character of poppies make them popular in any yard. Easy to grow and care for, these tips will help you successfully introduce poppies into your garden design.

Poppies are among the easiest flowering plants to grow. You can grow them from seed sown directly in the garden and watch as they reseed each year.

You can let the lantern-shaped seed pods mature and dry on the plants, harvest them and shake the seeds into an envelope for replanting. Then if you like dried flowers, you can use the handsome pods in arrangements.

The red poppies that often grow along roads, called corn poppies Papaver Rhoeas, are frost-tolerant annuals that can be sown in fall or early spring. Varieties in other colours, called Shirley poppies, include 'Mother of Pearl', a mix of mauve, blue-gray and dusty pink. 'Angels' Choir' is a double-flowered mix in shades of soft pink and white, with eight-centimetre-diameter flowers borne on 60 centimetre stems.

California poppies known as Eschscholzia Californica, are less tolerant of cold but will flower heavily in hot weather. The species blooms in rich orange, but new varieties have expanded the colour range. The Thai Silk series and Gloriosa Double Mix include yellow, red and apricot, all with semi-double petals. 'White Linen' blooms in a creamy white that can be used in complicated colour combinations.

Poppies are easy to grow and look after. Follow these steps to add that beautiful dash of red to your yard.

• In the Canadian climate, it’s best for you to grow poppies and California poppies in fall, on top of finely cultivated soil.
• Seeds germinate sporadically all winter and the tiny plants grow quickly as days lengthen in spring.
• In colder regions, sow seeds in early spring while the soil is still cold.
• Once growth begins, thin plants to at least 25 centimetres apart and dispose of thinning.
• Despite their wildflower reputation, poppies bloom best when grown in soil of average fertility.
• After thinning, apply a balanced, granular fertilizer at half strength.
• California poppies are ideal for dry climates but will bloom best if given water when the soil is dry, particularly when the plants are about ready to flower.Poppies are virtually pest and disease free but plants may succumb to fungal root rot when grown in soggy soil.

Poppies make a great addition to any garden providing colour accents dotted throughout or brilliant patches of red if planted as a feature. These tips will show you how to create a brilliant flowering of Poppies in your yard.