Plant of the week - Poppy 'Coral Reef' (Papaver orientale)

There was no contest for the entry for plant of the week this week. I had to choose these beautiful and delicately coloured poppies because they are so magnificent and because their glory is so short lived.

Poppy 'Coral Reef' (Papaver orientale)

Their colour is so clean and clear while they are opening as you can see from the photo above. The delicate petals are like ruffled silk and tissue thin - at this stage their colour is at its most intense.

Poppy 'Coral Reef' (Papaver orientale)

The point at which they open to reveal the magnificent deep crimson markings inside, the petals are already fading in intensity but the massive blooms open to about 5 inches across. Sadly the weight of the bloom combined with the English rain and wind does mean the plants can get flattened.

Poppy 'Coral Reef' (Papaver orientale) - seed head

Finally when the petals drop (sometimes in a matter of a few days), the emerging seed pod is revealed, topped with radiating sweeps of velvety purple and trimmed with intense purple stamens. This I think is even more beautiful than the bloom itself.

I bough a packet of seeds from Thompson & Morgan two years ago, and in their second year, the plants are really well established and have numerous blooms, many more than compared to last year.

Despite their glory being short lived, I would be without them in my garden now...