Papaver rhoeas Shirley Mixed - seeds

Papaver rhoeas 'Shirley Mixed' is a mix of poppies with single flowers whose silky petals display a rich colour palette ranging from white to red, including orange and various shades of pink. Some may be edged with white while others are solid. Each packet contains these colours in random proportions. These poppies are undemanding plants that grow and self-seed quietly in the sun. They tolerate poor, heavy, chalky, and degraded soils. Essential in a wild or naturalistic garden!

The poppy (Papaver rhoeas), also known as field poppy, is an annual plant from the Papaveraceae family, native to Asia Minor. Papaver 'Shirley' is a selection derived from this lovely plant. The plants germinate in spring, flower in summer, and then die after producing seeds. They reach a height of 35 cm (14in) when in bloom, with a width of 30 cm (12in). The slender stems are rough and have few branches. The leaves are arranged alternately and divided into narrow, toothed lobes. When the stem is broken, it releases a milky white sap. The summer flowering extends from June to August, depending on the climate and sowing date. The open cup-shaped flowers have one or two rows of silky, slightly crumpled petals. The colour of the corolla gradually changes during flowering. The centre is adorned with numerous yellow stamens. The flowers are pollinated by insects and followed by capsules containing a large number of seeds that will be dispersed by the wind.

The 'Shirley Mixed' poppy works well in wild gardens, cottage gardens, and untended gardens, allowing for the quick and effortless creation of simple, evocative watercolour flower scenes, perfectly in tune with the summer light. While not very long-lasting when cut, poppy flowers have a captivating charm when paired with garden irises, large daisies, peonies, or the swaying foliage of grasses in flower beds. This annual plant, like cosmos and love-in-a-mist, is unmatched for filling areas around new constructions, open spaces among other annuals or large perennials that flower later, such as daylilies. If you do want to make bouquets with its flowers, you will need to cauterize the stems where they are cut, thus preventing the flowers from wilting during the day.