Poppy Seedheads

The weather is foul here in North West England. We have had a lovely mild autumn so far and it seems that we are paying for it now. We are feeling the brunt of ex hurricane Kate… the first storm of the season to hit us and the Met Office have named this storm Abigail. We have had torrential rain and gale force winds for the past two days. In places six to eight inches (15-20 cm ) of rain fell in 24 hours. That’s more than a month of rain… a heck of a lot of extra water. Trees have fallen and there is flooding in some low lying areas.

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Growing Poppies

Poppy ThumbnailAll the best country gardens have poppies of one sort or another. They may be the ephemeral hardy annuals which seed freely and give a burst of colour for a short while in early June like these Papaver somniferum. Alternatively they may be Oriental poppies which produce a much sturdier bushy plant and usually flower all summer. Whichever you choose, they are all easy to grow.

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