It's an oriental poppy (Papaver orientale), not an icelandic (Papaver nudicum).

It would be far easier to move the pine at the appropriate time rather than the poppy. It's hard to get every snick of that deep tap root and if you leave any part in place it will just regrow. But it can be done if you are thorough :-) Again, not the right time to do so.....wait until fall.

btw, mine are also planted at the front of the border for the same reasons....too much shade deeper in. However, I cut them back hard after the bloom period and they reflush with a fresh rosette of foliage and are pretty much inconspicuous amongst the other plants for the rest of the season.

Thanks for clarifying that it's an oriental, GG, I corrected my title. We've tried both without success until this one, the Icelandic must not have made it.

You also confirmed my thought that it will be easier to move the pine. We've been exceptionally cool and wet here and it's only been in the ground since fall so I'm tempted to try it now, but may heed your advice and wait until fall.

Lastly, once blooming ends I'll cut the poppy back hard per your instructions. Like I said, this one completely disappeared in the heat of last summer. So I can live with its disproportionate size early in the season until it blooms, then cut it back to a more manageable size where it will blend in and allow the other bloomers to flourish the rest of the season. Thanks for your help.

are you really sure one or the other needs to be moved.. or perhaps just fixing that which is not broken?

ken

You're more of an expert on pines, Ken, maybe I don't have to move either one. But don't you think the 'Sherwood Compact' looks overwhelmed to the left of the poppy? When I planted the Sherwood last fall (and the poppy was dormant, nowhere to be seen), I made sure to give it a good few feet in all directions for eventual size and spaced it out evenly in relation to other plants. But then the poppy sprang back to life within a foot or so of the Sherwood. I just think they're too close to each other, for growth purposes when the Sherwood gets to its expected 2 to 3 feet in diameter and even now based on aesthetics. If I have to move the Sherwood eventually, I'd rather do it this year when it's new and relatively small. Or do you think the two plants can live harmoniously that close together if I'm going to shear the poppy back to 6 inches after bloom and it could even go completely dormant again in the heat of summer (if it ever comes)?

Why either/or. Wait till the autumn, with a hair cut after flowering, then dig up a section of the poppy and transplant else where. Then you can leave the pine in situ, and have the poppies where you would prefer them.

Fof

'Sherwood Compact' in the middle of the pic, not sure of the age as it was on a garden tour. I'd move it (at the appropriate time) to give it at least this much room or move a lot of things later. It was 4 feet in diameter...and growing.

tj

Re oriental poppies: they do bloom in June (here at least) and then go dormant (completely disappearing). That's why it's not a good idea to have too many oriental poppies (or to let one oriental poppy get too large) in a mixed perennial bed (viz. the bed ends up with empty spaces through much of the growing season).

I have dug up, chopped up the root with a spade and replanted pieces of the oriental poppy below.