Papaver nudicaule Champagne Bubbles

Summer is the time to sow Iceland Poppies and here are my favourites right now. I love this new variety Papaver nudicaule ‘Champagne Bubbles’. They really are the most beautiful flowers to grow from seed. Poppy seeds are so tiny it’s hard to believe that such beautiful blooms are produced in just a few months. I was completely blown away by the large colourful flowers when I took these photos in April in my greenhouse. They have gorgeous open papery blooms which open like crumpled silk. Flowers are all shades of orange, pink, yellow, red and white. They are extremely hardy and will tolerate cold winters. Flowers are produced in late spring and early summer before the rest of the garden really gets going. I’m always looking for some early plants for my garden and these fit the bill beautifully. If you’re looking for some colour in your garden in spring and early summer too then Iceland Poppies may be just the thing for you.

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Growing Biennials from Seed

Now is the time to sow Biennial Seeds. But what exactly are they and why do we need to sow them in summer?

What are Biennials?

Biennials are hardy plants which are grown from seeds sown this summer. They produce roots and foliage this year then burst into life next spring with masses more foliage, long stems and lots of flowers in late spring and early summer. Sown this summer they have eight to ten months to grow into super strong, healthy plants.

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Biennial Flowers

I’t’s been a scorcher of a day here in Lancashire. It’s cooling off now and we can here thunder rumbling in the distance but there’s no sign of any rain so far. I’ve just picked a bunch of flowers. There’s nothing quite like cutting flowers from your own garden and this evening I’ve chosen plants that I’ve grown from seed.

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What are Biennials?

Biennials ThumbnailBiennials are plants that you sow this year for flowering next year. 2014 seems like a long way off but a bit of planning now can save you lots of money, time and effort next year. June and July are the best months for sowing the seeds of Spring flowering biennials such as Bellis perennis, Foxgloves, Forget-me-nots, Wallflowers and Sweet William.

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