Papaver somniferum

Garden poppy, aka Bread poppy or Opium poppy.

The garden poppy is native to southern Europe and northern Africa. It is the poppy seed we so commonly use in cooking, as well as the poppy used for producing a wide range of narcotics. Its bloom is also a sweet and gentle delight in our late spring gardens. 

This variety boasts rose-red petals with a deep blue-violet center. This seed was gifted to me by a traveling friend who collected it from a garden in Alberta or Newfoundland ! It is an exquisite poppy that comes up every spring, once established in your garden. I love to grow it along in my garlic. 

Poppies are great for pollinators : bees absolutely adore their pollen.

Once the flower blooms, the pods will dry, and little vents will open up at the top, beneath the pod-roof canopy.  This is when the seed is ready for harvest : you can break the stem off and turn the pod upside down in a bowl to harvest the tiny seeds for next year's garden and for baking! 

Days to maturity: 60 days

100+ seeds per pack. 

Seed starting:

I love to broadcast these seed in a few places in my garden  a few weeks before the snow melts - they need cool wet temperatures to germinate. Essentially, I direct sow them directly onto the snow where I'd like them to grow.  The seeds and seedlings are tiny, and take a very long time to germinate (about 28 days).  If you don't have snow, direct sow them as soon as your soil can be worked in the spring. Ideally, you'll ready a spot for them in the fall : the seedlings will not tolerate being transplanted. 

Once these are established in your garden, they should self-sow!