Choosing the ideal plants for your garden

With a huge array of poppy seeds ideal for germinating and growing plants for your garden, it can be hard to decide on which varieties to include. However, with many species requiring different aspects and garden environments, choosing the correct poppy type can ensure that success prevails rather than disappointment. And while many poppies will thrive in even the poorest of situations, to get the best blooms and growth out of plants, it is vital to carefully decide which varieties to use, and where to use them.

Annual California Poppies

For those with rock gardens, or perhaps a graveled area that they want to include a few plants in, a number of dwarf California poppy varieties exist perfect for the job. California poppies, Eschscholzia Californica, work very well in the rock garden as they are a drought tolerant species, meaning that they can survive the heat with little water. California poppies can also be placed at the front of garden borders, causing their flowers to rise above a lattice work of foliage and spill over edging into paths and lawns. In addition to being ideal specimens for the front of borders, they are great in pots and window boxes, bringing their cheerful blooms to areas that often need a lift. California poppies remain immensely popular with gardeners around the world who love them for their growing ease and vivid colors. Oranges, reds, salmon pinks, yellows and even whites can create fantastic displays on decked areas, patios and gazebo's. Rose Chiffon and Purple Gleam varieties of annual dwarf poppies give pinks and lavender hints respectively, shining against otherwise dull areas. And with fall sowing providing early flowering plants the following year, these poppies can be used to bring color to the garden from the early spring through until September and October.

Other Annual Poppies

Meanwhile, further annual specimens include Papaver somniferum (the breadseed poppy), Papaver paeoniflorum (peony poppies) and Papaver laciniatum (feathery double poppies). These poppies can be perfect for bringing short-lived but intense color to a border. The taller annual poppies can be successful placed in spaces in the middle of the border, where they will rise up on graceful stems and offer elegant and stunning blooms.

Perennial Oriental Poppies

For gardeners who are looking for poppies to include in the sunny flower border, they cannot go wrong with perennial species of Oriental poppy, Papaver Orientale. Oriental poppies can play an important role in herbaceous planting, coming back year after year to provide fantastic foliage and blooms, and should be incorporated in a scheme as a staple plant. Oriental poppies are available in a selection of lovely colors including whites, oranges, reds, pinks, and lavenders. They range in height from 18 inches to over 3 feet tall. Oriental Poppies are a welcome sight in the garden and bloom early in spring once the bulbing flowers such as Tulips and Daffodils have disappeared.

Perennial Meconopsis Varieties

Often a hard area to plant, there are also perfect poppy species for shady and damp environments. The traditionally recognized blue Meconopsis betonicifolia is perfect for this area, with its Himalayan origins allowing plants to thrive in sheltered and shady aspects. For other blue flowering Meconopsis there is also Meconopsis sheldonii x Lingholm and Meconopsis horridula prattii available. In the color white, is the Meconopsis betonicifolia Alba. There is also the Meconopsis Hensol Violet which has purple blooms, Meconopsis Cambrica with yellow blooms, and Meconopsis napaulensis available in a fantastic mix of colors. Meconopsis will grow to between two and four feet tall, providing a surprising sight of color underneath a tree, or stream lined area.

Perennial Alpine Poppies

Another perennial poppy for those with rock gardens or a graveled area that needs some color, a dwarf poppy variety exists and is perfect for the job. The beautiful perennial Papaver alpinium will produce flowers of soft white, yellow, orange and salmon, which will contrast gloriously against rocky outcrops and gravel.

Poppies Are The Perfect Garden Plant

With such a wide array of poppies suitable for a number of locations, there is always the perfect plant for a gardeners needs. Meanwhile with many gardens hosting a number of different environments, a collection of plants grown from poppy seeds can be the ideal way to create stunning displays and wonderful, inspirational planting scheme.