Treasures from the Orient

Whether you like the sound of Pink Chiffon or rathern fancy Patty's Plum, the poppy family is worth cultivating.

It has to be said that there is something nostalgic about growing good old-fashioned plants like the oriental poppies and other members of the poppy family. These plants were always a familiar sight in old cottage gardens and were grown, then and now, not just for their beauty of flower and colour but also because they are generally trouble-free and always guarantee a good display.

Then there are the wonderful names that many of them have, like 'Pink Chiffon', 'Glowing Embers', 'Turkish Delight', 'Salmon Glow', 'Harvest Moon', to mention just a few.

One of my great favourites is 'Patty's Plum'. Big fat buds unfold, looking like crunched up crepe paper and opening to large and luscious dusky plum flowers. As the flowers mature the colour changes, fading to a dusky violet-purple. If the flowers of Patty's Plum are caught by evening light just as the sun sets they glow like magical lanterns hovering above the border. Grow this if you want elegant drama in your garden.

For theatre, the next has the leading role. It's Papaver orientale 'Turkish Delight'. Huge luxurious candy pink flowers stand about 3 feet high. These luscious flowers are tissue paper thin and if you feel the petals between finger and thumb, the slippery texture feels like the finest satin, cool and soft. Another variety well worth trying is called 'Black And White', again large flowers, this time of pure snow white, and the centre of the flower is rich coal black, a beautiful contrast.

For many, the thought of oriental poppies from their grandmothers' gardens conjures up huge fiery red poppies with black centres. This is the variety known as 'Goliath'. It is brilliant crimson with swirling petals creating great effect in any garden, giving a mood of oriental richness. There is also a beautiful double red with many crumpled petals. This is a spectacular flower and demands attention wherever grown.

These flamboyant poppies are the crowning glow of the early June border, holding their own with old-fashioned scented roses and the large border Irises.

To set oriental poppies to best effect in your garden, plant them with silver or grey foliage plants. I have also seen the misty foliage of bronze fennel used to good effect.

If oriental poppies have one fault, it is their short flowering season, but then this can be said of many wonderful flowering plants. They should be cut back after flowering, and this can leave a large gap or hole in your border. So they are best planted at the back where something else can take over and fill in, like Gypsophila paniculata.

Thompson and Morgan offer seed of a lovely pale pink variety . It's called Papaver orientale 'Coral Reef', and they claim it's a new colour break, but from its photograph it looks very like the variety 'Cedric Morris' which is a highly thought-of dusky pink variety. But then it's probably a colour break from seed for Oriental Poppies. Even so I do think it's well worth trying from seed. You will get about 45 seed for around €2, and after the price of compost and pots, it is a very inexpensive way of growing a stunning plant. I recommend you try!

Poppies are among the most astonishing of flowers when grown well. The next is very different and is regarded as one of the most desirable of plants to grow. It is known as the Himalayan Blue Poppy or Meconopsis. The best form is the variety called 'Slieve Donard'. In full flower, this will stun you. The colour is breathtaking, clear sky blue, unequalled by any other flower. It is the purest, clearest blue you will ever see.

To grow this poppy well can be a challenge. It must have a cool part-shaded position, and the soil must be lime free (acid). It is worth going to every effort to please this tricky plant. They are very greedy and need a lot of organic matter in the soil. A famous plant hunter of the Himalayas recommended planting them on top of a dead sheep - not very practical for most of us, I think. Instead I recommend huge quantities of very well rotted farmyard manure; your local garden centre should be able to help. Remember, your reward will be stunning flowers of unequivocal blue.

The next poppy worthy of space in your garden is also beautiful and it is very easy. This one is Papaver commutatum 'Lady Bird'. You will need to position this poppy with care to avoid clashes with other flowers. Lady Bird is so bright and lively, I think it is best put in a spot with plenty of green around. The shiny silky flowers are intense scarlet red with bold black blotches. It is a hardy annual and must be grown from seed each year. I find it may self seed a little, but unlike other annual poppies it never becomes a nuisance. Instead I find I need to renew it from seed every so often.

There are many other beautiful annual poppies, for example Papaver rhoeas 'Mother Of Pearl' . These are lovely pastel shades, and some have a beautiful attractive white margin to the flowers. You might also like to try the annual poppy known as 'Black Paeony' . This has large full double flowers, and is taller growing than the last two. It's now a little late to sow some of these from seed but they are well worth keeping in mind for next year. A look through a seed catalogue will give you an idea of the large number of different types available.