Just incredible composition!

Do the petals of dark grape poppies burn in the sun? They are really pretty.

Diane, you are "responsible" for my Julia Child too. Oh, and Jupiter's Beard, lol.

Bonnie

My Ebb Tide and MW are doing great the others are just planted a week ago lol. I also have Young Lycidas. It is flowering a lot more this yearvthan last year. Its kinda sprawly in growth habit. I think it will just take a few years to settle in.

I found some blackish maroon spiky type of poppy seeds at H.depo so I bought them lol. I will have to look online for the purple ones.

Ascot is a gorgeous rose! Hmm next years list maybe.

Diane, what is your fertilizer and routine? Do you cut your roses back at all after they bloom? You have such amazing blooms!

~Lenette

Bonnie, the poppies don't burn in the sun because all of this type are so ephemeral. They are here today and gone in a couple of days, but they produce so many buds that their season lasts for a while. I just planted another Julia. I hope you continue to like yours.

Lenette, I agree that Young Lycidas is floppy and takes a couple of years to hit his stride. I find that by planting him among more upright growers, I can prop those sprawly canes on the sturdier plants....You may have purchased Patty's Plum Poppy. I think this a perennial poppy, a different kind from Lauren's Grape....If you choose to grow Ascot, allow a lot of space!...I don't cut my roses back after their blooming, but probably should do more of that. I do deadhead a lot....I start my fertilizer routine in January, if weather permits, definitely by February, with compost/manure combo on the roses. Later everything gets this treatment. Then, some slow release granular fertilizer (some years) weeks later, and in March, Roses only get Holly Tone. In midsummer, roses will probably get more Holly Tone. Diane

I need to learn your fertilizing regime, Diane. Your roses are beautiful. Agree Lauren Grape poppy flowers don't burn here, but the foliage dries up more than it did in the North.

Here's the poppy seeds i got at H. Depo. Its a Burpee brand. Black Swan. I had to dig the seedpack out because I didn't remember the name lol. I guess they don't really fit in with the purple color scheme but I was in a poppy buying mood and saw them when I bought some herb seeds. Has anyone grown these?

I just googled the Black Swan poppy, an opium type, somniferum poppy, too. So it's an annual, I guess. I'm going to try this one. Thanks for the info and photo, Lenette.

I hadn't googled it yet and when I did I found one called Black Peony poppy that looks even darker (more blackish). Baker Creek sells the seeds along with some others. I've ordered veggie seeds from them before but not flowers.

http://www.rareseeds.com/store/flowers/poppy/

Peony poppies are pretty widely available. In fact, I tried growing a pink one years ago, and didn't have very good luck, but I've been thinking about trying again. I like Swallowtail Garden seeds a lot and might see what they carry. Thanks for the link which I'll check out. Diane

I tried the Black Peony & Swan poppies up north and they were good but somehow the Lauren's Grape were better, larger, more beautiful foliage I thought.

Diane, I don't check the Antique Forum very often, sure glad I saw this thread! Your roses are gorgeous! I love them all! Your Love Song is so beautiful! And I love Twilight Zone and PAOK is such a lovely pink, and of course your Julia Child never ceases to amaze me. They all look wonderful! Your roses just seem special to me! Enjoyed this so much!

John I love your poppies. Do you know the name of the pink and white bicolored ones?

Sultry, unfortunately it was just in a mix of Shirley poppies.

Wow.

The roses are gorgeous but it is the somniferum poppies that fill my eyes with their rich, rich color. I have always liked the intensely saturated colors of the darkest poppies. Sadly they wither quickly to brown stalks. I've been pulling mine as soon as they appear for several years now and hardly get them anymore. I have heard that you can get in trouble growing them. Not sure if this is true, or perhaps it is one of those things that varies from place to place. I would imagine that a field of poppies would raise eyebrows, but a few plants in a bed of flowers?

Just gorgeous. I love the yellow/purple/red combos. In fact I did a new bed in that theme. I have many of these roses, TZ, Ascot, Munstead Wood (I have Graham Thomas instead of Julia Child). I only hope my Ascot looks as stunning as yours when it grows in.

I just looked at this thread again because a "like" came up in my mail. What a trip down the spring memory lane this was. It seems it was a hundred years ago that all these roses were blooming, and now the garden is slowly going to sleep for winter. I really appreciate the perfectly wonderful comments all of you made about the deep purple spring. Here are a few more photos from later in the season. Diane

Augusta Luise

I'm glad you resurrected this thread, Diane, as somehow I'd missed a whole lot of posts. Your roses and your photos of them are, as always, stunning. All that work spreading manure is worth it!

John, what a glorious display of poppies.

Trish

I somehow missed this earlier this year - absolutely amazing, Diane!!! I think many people - including myself - will be growing purple poppies (etc) because of this thread! It's been several years and a different growing environment since I last grew them but definitely have to do it again next year. I hope to add at least one or two good blue or purple roses next year - a bold color without being overbearing, in my opinion.

OMG, what gorgeous purples! If I could only get my Y.Lycidas and Munstead Wood to really "take" and start growing and blooming...

My Young Lycidas put out a pretty bloom but it wasnt very purple. Its still in the 80sF maybe in a few weeks they will be a nicer color.

This double/feathered purple hidge japanese morning glory is very purple and blooming away.

Diane, I am so thrilled you resurrected this thread! Your front garden is my ideal, and I regularly revisit the photos posted here as I rework my own garden. When I need inspiration, I sit down with a cup of tea and gaze at all your purple majesties and the companion plantings shared by you and other forum members. Your photos encouraged me to take the Munstead plunge and order Lauren's Grape poppies. Love Song is lovely, too, and a real temptation. Your Wild Blue Yonder and Young Lycidas are deeper purple than I've ever seen. Do you use Epsom salts...or a magic wand? Thank you for sharing the fruits of your gardening labor. What a joy! Carol

Oh, my goodness, thank you, Carol. I am so honored by your words--you've given me a wonderful birthday present because I turned 71 today. I hope all your purples do well for you. I wish more quality purple roses were out there, but they must be difficult to hybridize. I don't have any secrets--just use lots of manure, compost, and maybe one of the "Tones", such as Plant Tone, Holly Tone, or Rose Tone (which tends to cost more). Amazon is a good source for the really large bags of the stuff. And please post some photos of your garden. I love Portland, and it was my very first home. Diane

Happy birthday, Diane! May you and your daughter and granddaughter have a moment of generational woman to woman political camaraderie and family closeness at the polls tomorrow! I hope you have a fall rose or two for your birthday table. Carol

Happy, happy birthday Diane!!!! I hope you're having a wonderful day! Thank you for all of your beautiful rose photos. :-)

How wonderful Diane. Happy Birthday and good luck tomorrow!

Have a fantastic birthday!

It's my father's birthday today, too!

Happy Birthday, Diane. Raising my cup of tea to you! Trish

Happy, happy birthday Diane and many more! Since you enjoy purple, here is Rhapsody In Blue:

Happy Birthday, Diane!!! Hope you've had an enjoyable day!

Thank you all for the lovely birthday wishes. I had a nice, low key bday and will celebrate some more this weekend (if you can celebrate at my age). I'll take that tea, Trish, but probably have some really excellent tequila tonight to wash it down, as I watch the election returns. And, Bonnie, Rhapsody in Blue is just luscious. How do you like it? Thanks for that pic.

Now it's time to vote, as I hope you all did or will do. Diane

Diane, I love Rhapsody In Blue, because the color is grape juice purple and the yellow stamens are so pretty. I wish my camera could capture the color. Even when the petal edges fry in the heat of summer, it is so pretty across the garden.

I'm off to vote too...

Diane my husband is saying I'm going to jail and the land will be took if I grow these poppies. I ordered some, and were starting the seeds and all he has done is fuss at me. From what I've read they are illegal everywhere in the US, so why can we order the seeds and not grow the flower? I just wanted them because I fell in love with your pictures. I looked it up and they are a somniferum poppy. Which means you shouldn't be growing them either? Should I contact someone and ask them? Who should I contact if so? Not wanting to get in trouble for just growing a flower...

There are a couple of states in the South where bread seed poppies (what these purple poppies are) are illegal to grow--can't remember where, but every other state they are perfectly legal. Maybe South Carolina is one of those states (but I strongly doubt anyone is ever prosecuted for growing the poppies). The seeds are used on bread rolls. I wouldn't lose sleep over it, and go ahead and grow them. You don't need to start these poppies ahead of time in the house. Just throw the seeds out where you want them to grow. It's best to sow them when it's quite cold because they need stratification (cold) to germinate. Laurens Dark Grape poppy is an annual and will reseed. You can also gather its seed from the funny seed pods or leave pods in place. Diane

Ok Thank you! I did start them in the cold in the yard, but I think the yard chickens ate those as they were coming up, because I started some in pots outside and they are coming up fine. I don't know what I'm going to do with the few birds that refuse to stay in the pen. Is there some way to check to see if they are fine to grow here?

I didn't think chickens and other birds liked poppy seeds. The quail seem to leave them alone here. I don't know who you would call to see about the legality of the seeds. I would Google something like, "bread seed poppies legal states" and keep Googling topics until find your answer. It shouldn't take long. Diane

Alana, here is a link regarding the legality of growing the poppies: the-somniferum-opium-poppy-legal-in-the-usa. Apparently, it depends on your intent. Good to know. I think I would love poppies in my garden.

Alana, I believe growing Papaver soniferum in North Carolina is technically illegal, but I don't think this garden plant is outlawed in South Carolina. I also don't believe there's a record of any US home gardener getting arrested for a few plants in the perennial mix. I imagine that the authorities are looking for poppy farms. If your husband is worried, I would call a couple of reputable local garden clubs to check in as well as an university agricultural extension dept. Univetsities are usually up on the law. I saw Dianne's photos and was seduced into growing Lauren, too. She is one gorgeous, grape-colored flowering bit of loveliness! Carol

OK thanks everyone!

Thanks, Jasmine. Apparently, there are a couple of states where possession of the seeds are illegal (Arkansas, Alabama?). I will check the link you provide, but I don't worry about things like this. Right now, the "do gooders" in Idaho have their hands full with enforcing Idaho's marijuana laws. We are totally surrounded by states where MJ is legal, with the exception of a little corner into Utah. I don't think anyone is worrying about breed seed poppies--ha. Diane

I'm checking with Jonathan Windam, I believe me works/worked at clemson ext. Agriculture or something or know someone he can ask.

I'm not sure why my chickens liked them, or maybe they just scratched them so much they killed them, I'm not sure..

Sorry if I gave out the wrong poppy information and I'm glad you are looking into it.

I did see a few videos about birds liking the poppy seeds. I've never been very successful at starting seeds, but here's an idea I might try: How to grow seeds the fast and easy way.

Just in case anyone else was worried and needed to find out, this what what I heard back today. To be honest the internet was confusing about the subject.

Good to hear from you! We actually don’t have any DPI-Regulatory laws or regulations that prevent the growing of poppies in SC. To my knowledge, there aren’t any SLED laws in regards to it either. From what I understand, there are a few different species of this plant and only one has the ability to refined into heroin. Poppies can be found for sale throughout SC in big box stores and the like. This isn’t my area of expertise, but I’d say your homeowner is good to go as long as they’re not refining it into a drug!"

I can hardly wait to see photos of your poppies, Alana. May your spring be as purple a Diane's! Carol

Hee hee - brings back childhood memories for me. My mother had a few of these poppies in our garden, amongst the other flowers. She told us they were "illegal", and not to touch them. I never did touch them, but used to go (when I was maybe 3-4) and crouch down next to them, staring at them trying to figure out why they were illegal! I remember they were very pretty.

Jackie

Thanks Carol! I'm hoping for a Spring as purple as Dianes too, and as long as the chickens leave some to grow they should be fine!

Great Photos Diane !! I have enjoyed and appreciate everybody's input. I always learn something new from someone.

In return, I thought I'd share this very Informative Video TUTORIAL which I found embedded @Wikihow.com -via their Main, Poppy Growing Guide: Wikihow.com/Grow-Poppies:

It mainly Focuses on Growing the Annual Variety (P. Somniferum, Breadseed, etc) in COOLER Areas. Especially if you're trying to get a head start!

Enjoy!!

So glad to see this thread has popped up again lol. Now I can revisit all the sumptuous photos! Plus, it just reminded me to plant those poppy seeds!