Papaver rhoeas 'Fairy Wings' (mixed)
field poppy
- Position: full sun
- Soil: well-drained, preferably poor soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: June to August
- Hardiness: hardy annual
An array of pink, white and lilac shades, which all have metallic-blue undertones, the flowers of this field poppy appear like luminous butterflies on top of the slender, hairy stems. Long after the last petal has fluttered away on the breeze, the seed-heads will continue to add a decorative touch to the border. - Garden care:They tend to resent root disturbance, so sow shallowly, directly into a well prepared bed in spring and water well. As the seedlings develop, thin them out to 30cm intervals keeping just the healthiest and most robust plants. When watering, give the plants a really thorough soak when the soil gets dry, rather than a little water every day. Dead-heading will prolong the flowering period, but at the end of the season you should let some seed heads to develop for next years crop.
- Sow: March-May
- Flowering: June-August
- Approximate quantity: 1000 seeds.
Centaurea cyanus 'Black Ball'
cornflower
Wonderful near-black flowers
£2.49
approx 300 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Centaurea cyanus
cornflower
A vivid blue annual for a meadow
£2.49
approx 100 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Knautia arvensis
field scabious
A great nectar source for butterflies
£2.49
approx 40 seeds
within 2-3 days excludes weekends
Sow hardy annuals
Hardy annuals, such as clarkia, godetia and poppies, should be sown now either in prepared seedbed outside or in trays in a coldframe. If sowing in trays, sow thinly and prick out into pots filled with multi-purpose compost as soon as they are...
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