Poppy - Shirley Poppy

Papaver rhoeas Shirley singleflowered mix

Legend has it that every Shirley poppy comes originally from a single flower raised in the 1880's by the Rev. W. Wilks in his garden in Shirley near Croydon. He spotted it in a waste corner among a patch of the common scarlet field poppies and worked on raising more poppies for many years, using that one poppy flower.

Germination Instructions: Sow directly where it is to flower as it does not like to be disturbed. Sow into a clean, weed free, seed bed. Prefers full sun and a well-drained soil. Can be sown in autumn for flowering the following year or in spring to flower the same year.

Cultivation Instructions Cut and come again variety. Cut flowers regularly to encourage growth and to encourage repeat flowering. Deadhead if you do not want it to self-seed. Or simply keep the seed heads which are small for decoration or to save seed.

When to Sow: March to May, August/September

Seed Count: 1g, approx 6,500 seeds - upped to 2g so double sow!