This is what oriental poppies do. The foliage begins to yellow often while they are ready to bloom. The whole plant gradually yellows and dies back until next spring.

I agree that it is a common process Oriental poppies go through. However in my climate, cutting back all the foliage after flowering is done results in a fresh clump of basal foliage that looks good until winter. Sometimes they will even produce a late season flower stalk.

Thanks, that explains it. I guess I am doing what you can do. I remove any leaves that turn yellow to keep it attractive and after it finishes blooming, I've cut mine back and have appreciated the fresh new basal foliage that it pushes out, and if I remember right, it looks pretty good all the way up until the frost. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong to cause the leaves to yellow.

I have one big clump that is too close to a rose bush and I need to move it after it blooms. It is getting hot here. By the time it finishes blooming, I doubt we'll have any cool days left, but I could use a rainy cloudy period to do it and I have milk crates to shade it for a week.

I just don't want to leave it there all season because I'd like to give the rose the room to perform, since it's in it's 2nd season.

I'm pretty sure my variety is 'Victoria Louise' - a salmon color. I enjoy them but I'd like to add a companion plant that blooms at the same time. Maybe I could add another variety of poppy. Either a violet color or a white. Anyone have a companion they enjoy with oriental poppies?