There are probably too many things in the cutting garden that I grow just because I love them - these black poppies are a great example - they are stunning - purple black sheeny petals above strong glaucous leaves, they make everyone gasp but they are a useless cut, as soom as the petals come out they drop.
Sarah Raven gets around this by cutting full blooms with the stems very short and then cramming them into a bowl of water with some chopped up seedheads - this does have its attractions, perhaps for a special dinner - but the reality is that floating flowers do not last well if they are directly in the water- the petals in contact with the water begin to rot very quickly. I also find that - with cats trying to drink the water and some suicidal flies - the glamorous arrangement soon looks seriously manky with decomposing petals floating in amongst a layer of fur and bodies.
I excuse my poppies by cutting the seedheads and drying them for Christmas things, but really that is just as excuse to have something so drop dead glamorous (and easy to grow) in the field.
I also harvest the seed - if anyone want some of the spares, as usual just let me know!
4 comments:
These Jane are gorgeous - I have lilacy purple ones growing and the house up the road has candy pink ones - but these are stunning.
Heather
Do you want some seeds when they are ready?
Yes I'd love some - the ones we have self seed and are 'wild' - in that I have no say in what they do with themselves - if I plant these will they appear at will in future or are they annuals that never come back?
You should put the seeds in envelopes and sell them on line with a photo.
Heather
They are annuals but will self seed year to year - if you keep them away from your others they will stay black - I have another patch that has stayed bright pink doubles year to year and a patch that has always been a mix. The patches are about 15 metres away from each other.
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