California Poppies

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Fermi

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California Poppies
« on: November 08, 2013, 08:53:52 AM »
California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are a favourite annual here as they never need supplementary watering!
All the colours are great but the softer lemon and creams are a delight
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

Umbrian

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2013, 10:13:53 AM »
Yes, and they seed about freely filling spots where weeds might flourish. Love the soft, ferny, glaucous leaves too. I still love catching one just about to burst into flower and gently removing its "cap" as I used to do as a child. :)
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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Fermi

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2013, 08:38:29 AM »
Here are a few of the different colours in our garden,cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

Umbrian

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2013, 06:01:39 PM »
Beautiful Fermi, I love the dark red bud.... One year I tried some more exotic mixes - "oriental " I think they were called with frilly petals and many different colours but they did not do well and I am happy to have the more "common or garden" ones
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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MikeHardman

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2013, 05:00:51 PM »
mmm - sumptuous, Fermi!

A friend has just given me some seed, telling me they like rich soil and adequate watering.
Anyone dis/agree?
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

Jill S

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2013, 07:18:14 PM »
Do they ?? perhaps this is where I'm going wrong, I think they're lovely plants in other peoples gardens but have never managed any success with them myself. Perhaps they simple don't appreciate my dry and mean regime, but this can change!
Member of RHS and MGS. Gardens in Surrey, UK and, whenever I get the chance, on Paros, Greece where the learning curve is not the only thing that's steep.

Umbrian

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2013, 07:47:31 AM »
I have used them in the areas bordering our car parking area - poor, compacted soil covered with gravel. Here they seed freely and flower on and off all through the summer providing lower growing interest amongst the Verbena bonariensis, various Achillea etc.
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

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Fermi

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2013, 08:09:19 AM »
A friend has just given me some seed, telling me they like rich soil and adequate watering.
Anyone dis/agree?
Hi Mike,
what they like and what they get is two different things ;D
We don't water these intentionally and that way they are a great cover for dormant bulbs; but they don't object to being watered and dead-headed and fed a bit (but not too much or I think you'd get foliage at the expense of flowers) but without any extra attention they still do pretty well. They seem to like growing in gravelly soil in our raised beds,
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

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John J

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2013, 06:05:48 AM »
Mike, they have become naturalised in areas of the Troodos Forest and have been used by the Forestry Dept in the reforestation programme of the Amiandos asbestos mines. There they are in poor soil and get no supplementary watering and are thriving.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Daisy

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2013, 07:01:51 AM »
Lovely photos Fermi. Thank-you.
I am interested in Umbrian's comment that hers flower on and off all summer.
In England they flowered all summer long, but I have found, here in Crete mine flower well in spring, but by early summer they have finished until the following year. ??? ??? ???
Daisy :)
 
Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS

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jmw

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2013, 08:18:18 AM »
In Central Otago, New Zealand, Californian poppies are a wonderful sight at present, growing wild on dry gravelly sites. I live very near the 45th parallel, where our annual rainfall can be as low as 280mm. We haven't had rain for a month and the poppies are glorious.There is the odd creamy white flowered plant, plus the typical deep orange and a yellow/orange mix.Tourists frequently stop to take photographs of the brilliant colours. Sedum acre flowers next and the hills will turn yellow. I have a seed collecting friend who harvests  and threshes many kilograms of stonecrop seed for export the Germany each summer.
Jo Wakelin
Gardens in Central Otago, New Zealand, with  -12C to  37C, and 250 - 400mm annual rainfall. Mad keen on cold hardy, drought tolerant plants.Member RHS, lecturer Horticulture.

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MikeHardman

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2013, 01:35:12 PM »
Glorious indeed!
Thanks for letting us see the spectacle.
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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jmw

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2013, 10:28:15 AM »
Thanks Mike - with good drainage, dry air, full sun and minimal competition you should find them easy to grow. They seem to like what I call 'elbow room'.
Jo Wakelin
Gardens in Central Otago, New Zealand, with  -12C to  37C, and 250 - 400mm annual rainfall. Mad keen on cold hardy, drought tolerant plants.Member RHS, lecturer Horticulture.

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MikeHardman

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2013, 12:25:04 PM »
Jo - thanks - guidance appreciated and duely noted.
I have a sparse bank in mind...
Only trouble is, it is below my Gauras (vivid pink ones, as in my recent posting), and I can't quite see in my mind's eye if the colours would work together or not. I think it's worth the risk!
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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Fermi

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Re: California Poppies
« Reply #14 on: November 20, 2013, 12:37:50 PM »
Jo - thanks - guidance appreciated and duely noted.
I have a sparse bank in mind...
Only trouble is, it is below my Gauras (vivid pink ones, as in my recent posting), and I can't quite see in my mind's eye if the colours would work together or not. I think it's worth the risk!
Hi Mike,
would you like me to collect seed off the pink ones for you?
Send me a PM with your address if you would.

Jo,
That's a wonderful sight! We have gazanias doing something similar in parts of central Victoria, mostly along the roadsides,

cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!