Of all the poppies I grow this has to be my favourite.
I usually find that the orientalis group are too fleeting, they get too soggy when it rains. This year has also been pretty poor for them in my garden and I will probably abandon some.
So when this came into flower again this year all the other soggy masses were forgotten.
Papaver pilosum Spicatum
A really rewarding plant whether in flower or not. Having lovely felty leaves and the softest apricot crinkly flowers, this makes a truly impressive statement at the front of the border. The flowers wrap themselves around the stem and appear anywhere up and down the the flower spike, so you don’t end up with a spike going to seed from the bottom upwards. It flowers from June to August.
As you can see the colour sits nicely with the other soft colours in the border.
I usually have a few plants for sale when we open but if not I always save seed, as this germinates very well but I get very few actually germinate in the garden.
Now I have a task of digging out the roots of some of the oriental poppies. Wish me luck……
from sewing room to potting shed 
It’ s such a gorgeous delicate colour. I used to have it but I forgot save the seed.
Good luck with digging up your oriental poppies. You only need to leave the tiniest scrap behind and back they come. I now they don’ t last long but they are so sumptuous and you can cut them right back when they have finished.
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I know but when you have things waiting in the wings you need the space and they are very very old, so I think I’ve given them a good life….where are you …I could send you fresh seed later….
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I’d love some of the seed too if possible; it could be sent to my MIL so wouldn’t involve you in posting it to Italy. Would you like any of my Californian poppies, there are seed pots to be collected now of the Thai Silk series which would sit well with your soft colours.
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That would be brilliant….I will keep you posted when the seeds are ripe…
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Thank you, I’ll make sure I collect the seed soon as the pos are about to burst open.
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…… 🙂 …….
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What a lovely poppy, such a great colour. I am not surprised it is your favourite.
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I look round the garden and there is a lot of peachy/apricot colour….there must be some planning going on (or just luck )… 🙂
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This is quite an interesting poppy, flowering like that along the stems; and I love the apricot colour flowers! Never seen it around here, probably not hardy enough.
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probably not …it doesn’t like the wet winters….
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This poppy is stunning. I have one pink poppy and it amazes me every year. It is such a sturdy plant but such a delicate bloom. Thank you for sharing.
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What a stunning colour Sue.
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It’s so soft….
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