There doesnt seem to be a forum for Poppies of any kind. I thought a thread for annual poppies might be usefull.
I have experience with Somnifariums.
I ordered seeds for these Hens and Chicks the pods are supposed to be really interesting.


How ever this is what the pods look like on the plantsfrom seeds sowed in March.


I will give them a few more weeks before I declare a complete disaster.

So did they ever form the little heads?
I have never seen anything like that.

It never happened. Another dream dashed.

Ah, gee. I'd seen those seeds, too, but never got around to ordering any. Heh, heh, guess I won't bother now, eh? We have somniferums all over the place here; the previous owner got them started and they pop up everywhere even after 10 years. I can never bring myself to yank them out 'cause they're so pretty. I have LOTS of seeds that I've gathered in self defense!

Awww, Cinda, don't you like poppies?

A ripple of doubt went thru me when I saw the seed head. I took a chance. No I will trust that instinct more.

I like poppies, the thumbs down was for the seeds not producing the seed head promised.


Annuals and perennials

This is Hens and Chicks poppy with a lily. The effect was less than wonderful,but the discription from the seed compant said flowers were ordinary.

Did you complain to the seed company? I know I would. What the heck, they might send you some free seeds!

I try to keep up with annual poppies somewhere on ATP,so this is going to be it.
Once again I sowed poppies in mid November believing we wouldnt have anymore warm weather. I am not so panicked this year as last when an early sowing produced teeeeny plantletts.I worried they would freeze out duering Jan. and Feb,bitter cold with temps below zero.
Not so.
As many poppy people assured me they ould survive.
This years sowing was found by a flock of migrating Juncoes. I thought all poppies lost.
NO! Yesterday I saw teeeeeny shoots.
All's well.

Yes, poppies are extremely cold hardy. I've had the same experience with larkspur and bachelor buttons- they do fine through brutally cold winters.

Karen

I have high hopes for Larkspur.
I needed to spread compost on the garden so I waited to sow Larkspur,Coreopsis and poppies,I pulled back the compost in a wide area.
When I saw the bird s had been on the spots I cleared to sow seeds I figured they had cleaned up nearly everything and any lucky seeds left wouldnt make much of a show and nothing would come up.
I am trying for 3 years now to get a huge plot of larkspurs with my lilies.
So far its barely working becauset something always interferes with the sowing so progress is small.
I am hanging in there because I want it so much.The first year I sowed Gallilee Blue and they were perfect color for orange lilies.
The second generation is more lavander than I like but new Gallilee'seeds cant be found.Must be cross polinated or something to produce the lavander.

I just wintersowed some larkspur. I don't direct sow fall/winter seeds because if the seeds manage to escape the hungry birds and rodents I end up mistaking them for weeds during my spring cleanup and pull them out. I am sticking to starting seeds inside in pots or wintersowing seeds in soda bottles especially with new varieties of plants. I can recognize plants that I have grown like morning glories, but play the "weed or what" game every spring.

The nasty bunnies ate my California poppies this year. I am not sure if they will come back.

Rabbits ate my Oriental poppy crowns..Such a downer.

Wow I did not know anything ate poppies. My goats wont touch them and that usually means they are safe.
If only the crowns were eaten do you think there was enough tap root for them to come back?

I think I will have poppies come spring. They leave the hearts of the crowns.
They also polished off the dianthus.

All I can say ..rabbit stew is mighty tasty especially flower fed rabbits

Imagine my joy when I saw a dead rabbit in the road in front of my mailbox.

Gee, guess we're going to have to get you a copy of "The Roadkill Cookbook!"