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Endless petals of exquisite ivory unfurl like slow-motion fireworks all summer long! Poppies thrive in gardens as well as raised beds and containers, even in partial sun and marginal soil. A gently re-seeding annual, poppies often have a perennial presence in your garden, though establishing poppies from seed is often challenging. Frilled White poppy seeds came as a gift from our dear friends of Uprising Seeds in Washington nearly a decade ago; we have been in awe as we grow and save her seed to share each year since.
Planting Method: Transplant Recommended
For Transplanting: Sow 2 seeds / cell or soil block 5-8 weeks before final frost. Thin to 1 & transplant once 3 true leaves have emerged, up to 1 month before final frost.
To Direct Sow: Sow in Spring (as early as soil can be worked) or in Fall since poppies love to establish in cool soils. Sow 8 seeds/foot and thin to 2/foot once true leaves emerge.
Seed Depth: Barely cover Days to Germination: 7-21 in soil 45-65ºF
Sun Needs: Full/Part
Spacing (after thinning/transplanting): 6 inches
Days to Bloom: 50 Height: 24-36 inches
Poppies thrive in gardens as well as raised beds and containers, even in partial sun and marginal soil. A gently re-seeding annual, poppies often have a perennial presence in your garden, though establishing poppies from seed is often challenging. Enjoy our Secrets to Establishing Poppies blog!
For cut flowers, here’s the trick: harvest them just as their bud is about to break and sear the stem with a lighter. The blossom will continue to open and intriguingly, since their access to water has been cut off, the petals will be about 80% as large and the colors will be that much more vivid and concentrated. Cut poppies don’t have the vase-life that zinnias or sunflowers do, but this technique helps them hold their petals many days longer. And like so many vegetables, herbs and flowers, the more you harvest the more your plants will produce!
Lorraine L Provost (verified owner) –
I started these back in March but they started blooming a month ago. They already quit blooming. I pulled them out. I planted them in a deck planter. Maybe they do better in the ground? Disappointed because they are very beautiful.
Petra Page-Mann –
Lorraine, thanks for the feedback. Typically in the first year poppies have a later and shorter bloom period. Once they naturalize they will bloom earlier thereby giving you a longer blooming period. Though they typically will not bloom past July.