Poppies

Happy Memorial Day!

May 28

Remember those artificial poppies that veterans used to sell for Memorial Day? I loved those. The delicate feel of the red crepe paper, the crinkled round petals and dark centers that I still adore.

When I was a kid it seemed those poppies were everywhere this time of year. My mom would always let me get one – just one – and I’d wear/play with the thing until it disintegrated.

As an adult, I couldn’t wait to plop some poppies in my garden. I’m crazy about my orange Oriental Poppies and purple Icelandic Poppies. But in honor of the holiday I picked up a packet of the traditional red Corn Poppy that started it all for me.

I never see the poppy-selling vets around anymore, so I’ll be growing my own. Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Purple Poppies

Jul 22

With our recent humidity wave, I’ve temporarily traded in my garden gloves for A/C. Although it’s been nice on the inside, I’m starting to miss the garden… and I’m a little curious about what I’ll find out there.

I’m hoping it’s a sweet surprise like this one from two weeks ago: purple poppies.

Delicate purple poppies

I planted these beauties from seed last year after being inspired by the oriental poppies across the yard. They didn’t bloom their first season and I nearly mistook them for weeds. Luckily, something inside told me to spare their frilly blue-green foliage.

I’m so glad I did, because this year I was rewarded with scores of delicate purple flowers. They even traveled across the yard to pretty up our weed patch. Nice!

I have a favorite

Apr 23

I feel a little bad about it, but I do have a favorite flower. Please don’t tell the others: I dote on them, too. I am so happy that the lilium genus is so easy to grow, their elegance springing up year after year in their many guises. Bloodwort is one of the first to show up for the spring party. Nubs of leaves pushing up like burly shoulders through the cool soil. They’re grey, tinged with a dirty pink; the delicate, flawless white flowers that follow shine among the leaves left from the autumn. The insides of foxgloves are secretive, full of hidden folds and structures whose function is known only to the bees.

Lilium 'Courier' shines with elegance

Poppies

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