Description
SHIRLEY POPPY DOUBLE MIX An annual plant that grows up to 12 to 18" tall. Leaves and stems are covered with coarse fuzz. The flowers are double petaled with a diameter of 1 to 2" in colors white, pink, orange, and red. Long blooming: from June to late autumn. Cold resistant. Planting instructions: Start poppies outdoors in early spring, when some chance of frost is still a possibility. Start annual varieties outdoors at the same time in Zones 3-7. If you live in Zones 8-10, your best bet is to direct sow in the fall. Poppies are famously difficult to transplant, so starting them indoors is not recommended. If you have to start them indoors, use peat or coir pots, and maintain a soil temperature of 12°C (55°F). Seeds will sprout in 20-30 days. Sow on the surface of the soil, or barely cover seeds. Thin to a minimum of 15 cm (6?) apart. Poppies are easy to grow and the self-sow with abandon, without becoming weedy. Simply pull up unwanted plants (an easy task) before they bloom, or better yet, let them tell you where they want to grow. They will thrive for years at a time in surprising spots, like a crack in the driveway. Other times, they simply won’t take, no matter how much you try. Keep them moderately well watered in hot, dry weather, and do not fertilize.
