California Poppy

I brought California Poppy home six months ago with high hopes and almost no knowledge. The first challenge was understanding avoiding any fertiliser which would favour grasses over flowers — something I hadn't expected to matter so much. Once I got that right, the whole thing settled down. I grow …

I nearly gave up on California Poppy after three months of mediocre results. Then I focused properly on avoiding any fertiliser which would favour grasses over flowers and within a few weeks the difference was dramatic. It now lives in a container with a meadow mix for a balcony and has genuinely t…

People describe California Poppy as easy and I'd push back on that slightly. sowing directly into poor soil as rich soil encourages weeds needs consistent attention and annual weed competition overwhelming slow-establishing flowers can undermine progress quickly if ignored. Where California Poppy i…

I'd had California Poppy for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to allowing plants to set seed before cutting at the end of season and the difference over the next two months was dramatic. exceptional wildlife value for bees, butterfl…