What kind of poppies? Perrennial or annual? I always had trouble with the Shirley poppies but the other annuals have been really easy for me - throw them down on what you guess to be the last snow of winter, and then they'll come up in late April. I've also tried in May and had them in July.

If you want to start them in pots, I would suggest peat, because they have long delicate roots, very difficult to transplant, and outside not inside, in the brightest light you can manage without direct sun to fry them - peat pots dry out fast.

I've managed a few from an annual poppy mix with direct sowing on a bright sunny slope. They didn't reseed. Perennials I've sown in nice sunny spots, but nothing. Mostly oriental.

I haven't tried perennial poppies, but annual poppies reseed for me. Having said that, my perennial oriental poppy has never reseeded; my own fault though; I harvest the pod, but conveniently forget to try & wintersow. I had wintersown some (annuals) a few years ago, and they've been reseeding for me ever since. It doesn't get much easier. I find if you pamper something you really want, you'll never get it. Try putting some in a spot that you can mark in your garden or start in a pot. Don't pamper. If you want some seed to play with, send me an email thru my page and I'll check what I have in my stash. I'm sure I have plenty, but don't quote me on that ;)

I just brought in some dried heads and only one had seeds
(although it did produce about 200 seeds). I don't know if I picked some too early, I just didn't want to lose the seeds.

I'll be trying to harvest them too; never done it before, good luck to you!

I have direct sown Oriental Poppies (in 2007 spring) and have three full grown plants that bloomed this year. My annual California poppies reseed every year.
I put the seeds and forgot about them. May be that's the trick:)