Poppy Shirley Mix organic seeds - Papaver rhoeas

Organic 'Shirley Mix' Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) is an annual poppy with single, multicoloured flowers, possessing an irresistible rustic charm. From organically farmed seeds, you quickly get fine, airy clumps covered in corollas with silky petals in a palette of whites, pinks, reds, and oranges, either plain or edged with white. Sown en masse, this mix creates a lively, animated flowering meadow that sways with the slightest breeze. Ideal flowers for a natural, easy-care garden, for slopes, cultivated meadows, slightly wild borders, or improvised summer bouquets.

The 'Shirley Mix' Poppy belongs to the Papaveraceae family. The species Papaver rhoeas, commonly called poppy, field poppy, corn poppy, red poppy, or Flanders poppy, is a widely distributed annual poppy in European cultivated fields and meadows. The species originates from the Mediterranean basin and temperate Eurasia, where it colonises fields, roadsides, and disturbed ground. It is an annual plant with a taproot that transplants poorly.
The "Shirley" group was developed in the late 19th century by Reverend William Wilks in the village of Shirley, near London, from a wild poppy with a white edge. Through selection, he created an entire line of poppies with lighter colours, often without the black blotch at the petal base, with single, semi-double, or double forms.
Under the name 'Shirley Mix' Poppy, we offer a mix of mainly single forms. Each plant forms a clump of upright, slender, sparsely branched stems, rough to the touch and covered in soft hairs, reaching 40 to 60 cm in height and 25 to 30 cm in width. Growth is rapid: a spring sowing will flower in early summer. The 5 to 7 cm diameter flowers are solitary at the stem tips. They form a cup composed of one, sometimes two, rows of silky, slightly crinkled petals, in a range of white, soft pink, bright pink, red, or orange, plain, flamed, or edged with white. The flowering period spreads from May to August, depending on the sowing date. They are nectar-rich, loved by bees and many other insects.
Each flower is followed by a rounded capsule, topped by a disc, which opens via small pores beneath this "lid" to release a great many tiny seeds. These can remain viable in the soil for a long time and explain the poppy's ability to reappear spontaneously after the ground is disturbed.

In the garden, sow 'Shirley Mix' Poppy seeds directly in situ, in full sun, in well-drained soil, even if poor, stony, or chalky. This mix is very well-suited to natural displays. It can be combined with other poppies from the same group: Papaver rhoeas ‘Amazing Grey’, with greyish-purple petals, or Papaver rhoeas ‘Pandora’, with burgundy and old rose tones, adding more muted and sophisticated nuances. Papaver commutatum ‘Ladybird’, a bright red poppy with large black blotches, creates a very artistic contrast. To enhance the meadow effect, pair it with annuals like cornflower Centaurea cyanus ‘Black Ball’, with very dark purple flowers, and some light, airy grasses.