And they call it Poppy Love

Perfection


A fallen blue petal...Poppy Love


This weekend the Theodore Payne Foundation organized a California native (plants) self-guided tour of Los Angeles area gardens. From modest homes in Eagle Rock to the hills high above Beverly, it was fascinating to see personal expression in the gardens. We're interested in lowering our water bill, attracting birds and butterflies, discouraging ground squirrels and rabbits from using our plants as the foundation for their three-squares a day and just generally creating a practical, strong garden without sacrificing beauty. We're not total purists and don't want to get rid of the hundreds of Mediterranean beauties that do so well on our property. The rosemary and lavender provide year-round beautiful scents and the bees don't seem to care that they're imports. I would, though, love to have a garden that in springtime is FILLED to bursting with California poppies. I have wild-strewn carefully hand-sown California poppy seeds from garden centers as expensive as Spurling's and the Theodore Payne Foundation to whatever's on sale at Target and Home Depot. I have planted mature potted poppies and I have NEVER had one make it past the first season. I don't believe I have ever had one seed germinate. I felt badly about this until one woman told me that she had planted over a pound of poppy seeds each year for the last five years and finally has a good crop. Do you have any idea what a pound of poppy seeds looks like? Picture a gallon-sized Ziploc bag filled to bursting. Crazy, I know. It gave me hope, though, and I shall keep on trying.