The other day, I stopped by the local box store. Like I always do, I wandered over to the nursery isle to see what was new. The nursery stock was starting to arrive and there was a cart full of perennials. Sitting on the cart were all these poppies and only one was in bloom. That one, just caught my attention. It was unusual and the color was very intense. I started looking around on the cart and found another one blooming in a different color. The price was right and I left the store, in the snow, with my two new garden plants.
The plants were Papaver nudicaule 'Champagne Bubbles' Iceland poppies. They come in colors of red, orange, white and yellow. They require very little water once they have established and love a sunny location. They are a dwarf plant that grows 10 to 12 inches tall and about 12 inches wide. 'Champagne Bubbles' grows in zones 2-8. They look wonderful in containers, along walkways or in mixed beds where they can give a burst of color. These poppies will require some deadheading to remove spent flowers. They should be fertilized in early spring and when they bloom in May or July, you will have lots of color.
 |
| Two different colored poppies in one container! |
One thing that I discovered about this poppy is it's fragrance. Due to the low temperatures in March, I put my plants inside the house to enjoy the buds that were already set on the plants. They really smell nice! I also was surprised that one of my containers, when it bloomed, had two different colored poppies in one container. I got a bonus plant!
Happy Gardening!
Debbie