Papaver orientale 'Patty's Plum'
oriental poppy
- Position: full sun/part-shade
- Soil: moist, well-drained
- Rate of growth: fast-growing
- Flowering period: May to July
- Hardiness: fully hardy
- Garden care: Cut back to ground level after flowering. Lift and divide large clumps in autumn.
A really luscious oriental poppy with deep reddish-purple flowers in early summer and bristly, grey-green leaves. The silky, pleated petals of this popular variety have been compared to the faded silk of antique ball gowns. Although the flowers of all oriental poppies are ephemeral, they are easy to grow and each plant will produce several flowers. If cut back after flowering, they may even produce a second flush. Plant it in a sunny border, as part of a cottage-garden scheme, alongside grasses or late summer-flowering perennials, such as dahlias, which will provide interest when the plant has died back. 'Patty's Plum' contrasts particularly well with silver foliage plants. It will need staking, as it has a tendance to sprawl.
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The sultry, willowy Patty is always earlier, flowering in the first week of May, and her unique brown-pink flowers need semi-shade - a hornbeam or green hazel backdrop sets her off
Val Bourne - Garden Writer