Oh, the Sunny California Poppy!

Have you ever grown Poppies?

For several years now, I've admired California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) and Papaver Poppies. I've wanted to add them to my own garden--not on a massive scale, but as highlights of color near the house. I don't have much sun here, and I tend to grow sun-loving ornamentals and annuals in bright corners and in my small potager garden.

While I haven't tried Papavers yet (stay tuned), until recently I had no luck with California Poppies. I tried starting the seeds in pots early in the growing season, and when that didn't work I sprinkled the seeds along the edge of the potager. But a combination of known and unknown factors prevented their growth.

The potager is on the west side of the house. It gets several hours of indirect light, and then several more hours of strong, afternoon baking sun. The Zinnias and Cosmos love it. But all I got from sprinkling Poppy seeds there was a few tiny, feathery seedlings that disappeared soon after they sprouted. I'm guessing chipmunks and/or robins were responsible--digging around or eating the seeds and/or the seedlings. Or perhaps the seedlings got lost in the mulch and in competition with other plants.

Anyway...in late winter/early spring this year I tried a different technique:

I sowed the Poppy seeds directly into a rectangular planter box, and put the planter in the sunroom in March. I figured that would give them an early start, and protect them from critters.

As the weather warmed, I placed the pot in our mini cold frame to acclimate them to outdoor conditions. Then, after the last frost, I moved them to the potager.

I placed wind spinners around them to dissuade the critters from digging in the pot (so far, so good).

Because they're in a planter, I can easily move them around to try new locations. Fingers crossed they'll continue to thrive and bloom over there. If they struggle, we'll adapt.



The foliage is so lacy and fun. Depending on the light, sometimes it has a slight blue cast, and with hot weather it yellows.



The buds are fun, too!

And then the flowers!

I'm thrilled that I've finally had success with these pretty plants bearing beautiful, sunny flowers and lacy foliage! Maybe next year I'll try Papavers!

(Check out this fun, time-lapse video of California Poppies growing from planted seed to flower and back to seed.)

Surprising Garden Remnants in Late-Autumn Vases

I'm pleased to have so many blooms still bright and available this late in the season. Still no hard frost, but the forecast says it's just around the corner, likely sometime in the week ahead.

Most plants in the garden are faded and flopped or dormant, but the ones shown here reside in protected areas near the house and the rock wall.

I'm joining in with Cathy's In a Vase on Monday meme, and she's challenged us with the theme of "11": She's celebrating the 11th anniversary of her meme! So here are 11 plants, in little vases, in no particular order. I'm including the common names and genera and species, but please forgive me for leaving off the varieties--some tags are gone at this late date.

Marigolds (Tagetes patula)

New Guinea Impatiens (I. hawkeri)

'Autumn Joy' Sedum (S. spectabile)

Mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Fuchsias (F. hybrida)

Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta)

Impatiens (I. walleriana)

Lantanas (L. camara)

Zinnias (Z. elegans)

Angelonia (A. angustifolia)

Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima)

It's been a gentle transition this year from summer through fall. I'm thankful for these blessings.

And thanks, again, to Cathy for hosting! Stay warm, everyone. On to winter...

Happy Garden, Happy Gardener on July Bloom Day

All the plants are happy after recent plentiful rains! And this gardener is thankful that our drought is lessened. We may be at one of our peaks for seasonal blooming in the garden. It was hard to pick flowers to share on this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, so I just snapped the ones that caught my eye.



Starting in the shade (in addition to the potted Impatiens combined with other plants in the first photo), the Woodland Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica) blooms are waning but still lovely. I think I'll plant more of these; they bring so much bright color to the shady areas.



In partial shade, the Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are thriving after the recent precipitation.

The Asiatic Lilies (Lilium spp.) are full and regal.





The sunny garden is brightened with the happy faces of Zinnias (Z. elegans; top, 'State Fair Mix'; just above, 'Zowie Yellow Flame').



Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are just about to add even more sunlight to the potager garden.



The Blazing Star Liatris plants (L. spicata) seem to have taken longer to bud and bloom this year. Maybe it was the lack of natural precipitation. Now they're popping with color.

Lucky 'Sunrise Rose' Lantanas (L. camara), in all their color variations, look extra pretty adorned with raindrops.



This Ox-Eye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) is a volunteer. While I did plant it in this spot in previous years, it disappeared last year. The seeds must have skipped a year to regerminate.



Drumstick Alliums (A. sphaerocephalon) are adding their unique fireworks.



Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) brings the lovely scent of vanilla, along with its beauty, monarch butterflies, and their eggs (can you see them in the photo?). 



Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is blooming at the same time, sharing its bright orange flowers with bumblebees, butterflies, and other pollinators.



Of course, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a pollinator (and gardener) favorite, for so many reasons.



Lesser calamint (Clinopodium nepeta; aka Calamintha nepeta) fills in its area nicely, and the blooms are beginning to explode with their tiny brightness.



Finally, the Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are gigantic and gorgeous this summer.

I stood next to this spike, and estimate it's taller than seven feet!

Head on over to May Dreams Gardens for more blooms in many other gardens! Happy Bloom Day!

Pots Full of Form and Color

For several days in a row, this Eastern tiger swallowtail spent hours nectaring on potted Impatiens (I. capensis) 'Accent Burgundy.' It was a beautiful sight to see, and the butterfly seemed very tame and contented.

When I gathered photos for my last post about "likes" and "dislikes," I went a little overboard. So, I separated out the photos of the potted plants. For the most part, I've been pleased with their performance and results. Of course, potted plants are watered regularly, so they benefited from extra care during the drought.



The potted Impatiens form a focal point in the back garden. They've really filled in nicely.



In the pot with them are Oxalis (O. vulcanicola) 'Zinfandel,' which are not hardy in my cold climate. So I might bring some inside, as I do with my Purple Shamrocks (O. trangularis).



And on the sides of the pot, Bush Violets (Browallia) 'Endless Flirtation.'



Behind them, adjacent to the wire trellis and the Oak tree, is a patch of Wild Senna (S. hebecarpa) (not potted) that I planted just a couple of years ago. I think it likes this spot.



I included the 'Accent Burgundy' Impatiens in several other pots, too, including this one with Sweet Potato Vines (Ipomoea batatas) 'Sweet Caroline Bewitched After Midnight' and 'Sweet Caroline Light Green.'



Impatiens 'Accent Bright Eye' is also happy, with its companion, Asparagus Fern (A. densiflorus) 'Sprengeri.'



'Accent Bright Eye' also combines nicely with Lantana (L. camara) 'Bandana Rose' and some Marigolds (not blooming in this photo).



New Guinea Impatiens (I. hawkeri) 'Magnum Bright Purple' also was a favorite spot for the swallowtail. I have three lush, full pots of this variety, and all three are now blooming more fully than the photos here. I love the foliage on this plant, too.

More New Guinea Impatiens with various Coleus hybrids.
 


And Coleus paired with the Oxalis.



I'm pleased with the progress of Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), potted here and along a trellis on the side of the house. All were planted from seed. I'll take this one into the cool sunroom for the winter and leave the others in the soil outdoors. It will be a fun experiment. Maybe we'll see flowers and fruit next summer.



Two fun pots at the westside base of the sunroom: Fuchsia (F. triphylla) 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt' and a Caladium (C. bicolor).



I've grown Hyacinth Bean Vine (Lalab purpurea) from seed for many years, and it seems very happy in this pot with rabbit-proofing wire at the base.



The foliage is as pretty as the flowers, which are sparse in the shade.



I always get some flowers from Hyacinth Bean Vine, but they're developing later this year, probably because the trees leafed out very early in the spring.



My favorite Fuchsia hybrid is 'Marinka,' and I've overwintered these two pots in the sunroom for several years now. I clip them back when I bring them in, and they fill out nicely when they go back out in late spring.

The hummingbirds like them, too. I'll have to try to get photos of the hummers nectaring here.

I've been happy with these and several other potted arrangements this growing season. They brighten my day when I walk out of the house. Maybe I'll add even more pots next year...