Other Years

Peony Poppies (P. paeoniflorum)

2021
June 28: First flower.
 
2020
March 19: I bought a package of Lauren's Grape variety from T&T Seeds. They promise a lovely purple flower.
20: I sowed 12 cells with about 4 seeds per cell.
28: One sprout and one germinated seed.
April 4: Only 4 sprouts. I added about 15 more seeds.
May 28: I set out my 3 plants about 4 days ago and they are doing well.
July 3: First flower, a red one. There are many volunteer plants in the raised bed.
16: The frilly red volunteers are mostly done flowering but today one of the Lauren's grape opened. It is a lovely purple.
August 11: The red-flowered plants are finished but the seed pods on the Lauren's grape plants are not yet mature, except for one.
 
2019
December 31: There were no volunteers in their bed! Very extraordinary. There were a few smaller volunteers in the central bed.
 
2014
June 20: Many many volunteers in many places. I have not thinned them yet in their own bed.
&July 31: Most have finished flowering and a few seed pods are ripe.
 
2013
June 23: A few volunteers in the raised bed.
September 23: Did well.
 
2012
September 19: I put some plants among the calendula, and had numerous volunteers here and ther also. I got a good number of seeds from the volunteers in the raised bed.
 
2011
May 23: I set out my 8 seedlings.
 
2010
March 9: I started 9 cells using seeds of mixed colours from 2004, and 9 cells using seeds from 2005.
14: Sprouts, more from the 2005 seeds.
29: Thinned down to 2 sprouts per cell.
May 8: Only 5 seedlings have survived, and I set them out today. I have started another 9 cells, which are still very small.
June 17: They have started to take off and grow rapidly.
July 12: A few flowers. The volunteers are larger, generally, than the ones I transplanted.
 
2009
March 10: I started 12 cells using many seeds from 3 different years.
16: Sprouts.
27: Thinned.
May 24: I set out 11 plants.
July 4: Coming along fine.
21: First flowers.
August 18: Many seed pods, almost ripe, and a few flowers.
24: I collected seeds for next year.
 
2008
March 11: I started 18 cells with a few seeds in each cell from 2005 and 2006.
17: The number of sprouts has been increasing daily for a few days. I took the cover off today.
24: Thinned to 2 plants per cell.
31: Thinned to one plant per cell.
May 10: I set out 12 plants and have 2 left over.
June 16: Growing very well.
 
2007
January 1: None this year.
 
2006
March 8: I started 18 cells, 6 with Summer Fruits seed, 6 with seed from 2004, and 6 with seed from last year.
10: The seeds, which are visible on top of the soil, have germinated.
11: Today the roots have many root hairs and may have begun penetrating the soil.
18: Most seedlings died so I resowed the cells with seed from last year.
24: No sprouts or germination. Maybe the seeds needed to be frozen first.
27: I discarded them and started again using seeds from 2004.
31: Sprouts.
April 14: Thinned.
May 21: I set out 10 plants, with cutworm collars.
August 1: Doing ok. The plants are medium or small, as were their flowers, probably due to the extreme dryness. I deadheaded and am waiting for more flowers.
 
2005
March 12:  I started 18 cells, using seed from 2003, 2004, and some Summer Fruits seeds.
18:  Sprouts.
April 19:  Thinned and transplanted to fill empty cells.
May 9:  A few were yellowish. I gave them iron, but maybe too late, as several died.
~17:  I set them out.
June 24:  They have not survived well. Cutworms and wind and unknown things killed several.
July 10:  First flower today, not a large one. There was a volunteer red one yesterday.
19:  Many nice blossoms, but the plants have fallen over, partly from a wind storm.
 

Summer Fruits Poppy, 2003

2004
March 10:  I started seeds in 15 cells.
27:  I started 6 more cells.
May 18:  I set out 12 plants.
July 15:  A few flowers are turning up today and continuing to open.   They began opening 2 days ago, but were only partly open and only slightly turned up until today.
18:  They were slow to open but are very beautiful and full now that they have.
August 24:  There are many flowers in the second flush.   For a couple of weeks, between flushes, there were none.
 
2003
March 8:  I sprinkled seeds from the Summer Fruits package into 13 cells.
13:  Many fuzzy roots which are starting to turn down.
17:  A few sprouts.   Also, I bought a package of mixed colours peony poppies from Mr. Fothergill's seed company, at Rona (Revy) for $1.59.
20:  Transplanted to even the sprouts out, giving 14 seedlings.
April 1:  I sowed seeds from the new packet into 5 empty cells.
6:  They have sprouted.
May 8:  I set out 6 plants.
14:  And 6 more.
July 2:  There are some fine large flowers, but some flowers are incompletely open or have not turned fully upright.
29:  I stopped deadheading some time ago, but there are still flowers!
August 26:  I have been collecting seeds for about 12 days.   Today I cleared the last of the plants away.
October 19:  They made a beautiful display this year, and I am looking forward to finding out what comes from my collected seeds next year.
 

2002
March 5: I seeded 9 cells of Summer Fruits, with many seeds per cell.
March 10: Sprouts.
~May 5: I set out 2 plants.
6: Freezing temperatures overnight affected them.   One would die, one survive.
24: A hard frost last night seems not to have harmed them..
July 24:  They flowered in my absence.   I do not know what colour flowers they were!   Seed pods are forming.
September 7:  One plant had more flowers, white with a red fringe, so that only the red showed most of the time.   I collected the seed.   Most of the seed pods did not open, and I had to break them to get the seed out.
 
2001
January 3: Seeds arrived today of the Summer Fruits variety mixture, from Thompson and Morgan, US$2.99.
May 18: I sowed 4 rows.
June 18: No sprouts.
August 6: I have left the bed undisturbed, and hope the seeds sprout next spring.
 

Danebrog Laced Poppy, Closeup, 2003

Danebrog Laced Poppy, 2003

Danebrog Laced Poppy, 2003

Danebrog Laced Poppies (P. somniferum)
2003
March 8:  I sprinkled seeds from 1998 plus a few from the original package into 14 cells.
13:  Many fuzzy roots which are starting to turn down.
17:  Thinned the many sprouts.
April 1:  Thinned again.
May 8:  I set out 9 plants.
July 29:  They put on a lovely show.   I have removed some of them and left a few, and the few that are left are producing flowers again although they also have seed pods.
~August 3:  I cleared them away.
October 19:  Although they did well, I think the peony poppies have showier (better) flowers.
 
1997
March 17: 9 6-paks planted sparsely.
21: The seeds upstairs have sprouted.
28: 1 6-pak split into 18 peat pots.
May 14: The plants in the peat pots seem to be doing all right now. They grew slowly, and lost their lower leaves once when I overwatered. They seem to like steady moisture. The plants in the 6-paks are doing all right. Some are large, close to pot bound perhaps. I lost some to drying out.
May 24, 25: 45 plants set out along the fence.
July 5: First 2 flowers.
December 18: A good display, although the plants were not as large as a few years ago.
 
Single Red Poppies (P. somniferum)
2000
March 9: I planted 6 cells today, several seeds per cell, using seeds collected by my father in 1956. I sprinkled the seeds on top of the soil and sprinkled a covering of vermiculite on them.
27: No sprouts, so I discarded them.
 
Raggedy Ann Poppies (P. laciniatum)
2007
December 31:  There were volunteers here and there.
 

Raggedy Anns, 2003

2003
July 2:  There is a bravado display of blossoms from volunteers in the south perennial bed.
August 26:  I scattered most seeds as the pods ripened, and cleared the plants.   I think all are gone now.
 
2002
September 7:  There were volunteers here and there.
 

Raggedy Anns, 2001 photo by Rosanna Parry

2001
May 19: Many volunteers in the perennial bed.
July 3: First flowers.
August 6: I collected seeds from most of the plants, and cleared them out.
 
2000
March 9: I planted 9 cells today, several seeds per cell, using seeds collected last year. I sprinkled the seeds on top of the soil and sprinkled a covering of vermiculite on them.
15: About 7 sprouts.
18: Many sprouts. Thinned today.
May 9: Although they were doing well, just recently some of the seedlings died.   They were mostly the ones that were partly covered by schizanthus foliage. A snapdragon under the foliage also died.
22: I set out my 4 remaining seedlings, and sprinkled seed in their area.
June 15: There are many volunteers, mainly in the perennial bed.
July 5: First flower open today, a volunteer.
11: First non-volunteer flower.
August 8: All plants have gone to seed except for the odd late volunteer, and I have collected some pods. I did not deadhead them this year.
 
1999
March 9: I planted 9 cells today of Raggedy Ann poppies, several seeds per cell. I sprinkled the seeds on top of the soil.
13: Root tips are beginning to appear from the seeds, so I sprinkled a covering of vermiculite on them.
15: There are many sprouts through and around the vermiculite.
20: I thinned the plants to 2 per cell.
April 7: I thinned to 1 per cell.
May ~5: I set out my 8 plants.
11: I sprinkled seed in the poppy bed. It appears that 7 plants remain. There has been a lot of wind.
24: Five plants flourishing, 1 still alive.
June 2: I moved a volunteer into the poppy patch.
4: I moved 2 volunteers from the Parkview garden into 2 cells of a 9-pak, but there was a lot of root disturbance. The volunteer I moved 2 days ago no longer looks perfectly well either.
6: There are many small plants in the garden now, that germinated there. The inner leaves of the volunteer look healthy.
30: Flourishing, especially the ones started indoors.
July 3: First flower.
22: Deadheaded the blossoms for the last time. They have been flowering profusely.
August 3: They are going to seed. There is still the odd flower.
31: Finished.
 
1998
March 23: Started a pak, with many seeds in each cell.
27: Sprouts.
April 8: Thinned to 2 per cell.
16: Many leaves are yellow.
19: Largely recovered.
June 1: Doing fine in garden.
 
1996
March 15: 3 6-paks planted.
22: No sprouts. One pak put outside.
May 4: All doing well.
7: 6 plants planted out, 1 with few roots.
28: One froze, the others--no progress.
June 1: I replaced the one that froze. The plants in the garden have not grown since they were set out, nor the ones in the 6-paks since then. I guess they should be started later or kept in larger pots.
July 9: First flower. The plants that were early out are the biggest but 2 died recently mysteriously.
August 29: Collected seeds. A good display, especially from the non-volunteers.
 
1995
~April 4: Started some seeds.
May 8: No sprouts yet. I tried putting one pack in the freezer overnight, and I have tried leaving them outdoors for sunlight, but 0 germination!?
9: Broadcast seeds on the garden.
23: Clusters of very small sprouts detectable.
June 15: I transplanted some of the sprouts, as there was only one clump remaining, and two volunteers from elsewhere in the garden. The volunteers are much larger than the sown plants. I guess they should be started later or kept in larger pots.
July 7: One plant is in flower.
October: By deadheading spent flowers, the blooming period was extended, although subsequent flowers were smaller.
 
1994
April 11: Started seeds, 8 cells with many seeds per cell.
17: No sprouts. I moved their peat pots to the basement.
18: Sprouts.
~May 7: Thinned.
June 21: 7 healthy garden plants. Cutworms got 3.
August 17: Collecting seeds.
 
1993
August 5: Flowering very well.
June 16: 12/24 poppies showing.
August 18: One late peony poppy is in flower. The leaves on the seed poppies have turned brown, but few pods are ripe.
September 4: There are one or two late Raggedy Anns. I have harvested the seeds.