May 1st, 2008
Week 18: May Day Pinks
Julie @ Human Flower Project passed along poppy seeds which finally started blooming this week. (Everyone else’s in Austin bloomed throughout April.) She said the double-selection was salmon. In soft early morning light it looked more dusty rose; in glaring afternoon light, definitely salmon. (These two photos are of the same flower taken about six hours apart.)
My love-in-a-mist, Nigella damascena had almost died out so, thinking I had enough blue flowers, I planted some ‘Mulberry Rose’ seeds from Renee’s Garden. The cilantro overgrew them and when I was clearing it out yesterday, I discovered these miniature nigella flowers, about the size of a dime, on teeny-tiny plants. (Seed packet: mature height 18-24 inches). Apparently they prefer room to grow.
On the opposite end of the scale, the unwieldy crinum (maybe Crinum bulbispermum) continue to flower. These large bulbs don’t like being moved and have taken about three years to settle in and start blooming.
The pink rainlilies, Zephryanthes grandiflora opened all at once today. A single early flower opened on April 28th–but today is really rainlily day.
by M Sinclair Stevens
May 1st, 2008
That first photo and poppy is a showstopper. What a beauty!
May 1st, 2008
Layanee is right—great first photo! I want to get some of those pink poppies like Jenny had. And rain lilies too—so cute.
May 1st, 2008
What beautiful blooms you still have. I loved seeing the two very different colors on that poppy several hours apart. Isn’t that amazing? I love the salmon color – so unique.
Well the poppy didn’t actually change color. The color looks different because different types of light is reflected back depending on whether it’s early morning shade or mid-afternoon sun. The camera exaggerates the difference. I guess the question, then, is what color is the poppy really? — mss
May 2nd, 2008
Oooh, I love the rainlilies. When I was at The Natural Gardener this afternoon, I walked over to see the iris field, and the little wooded area you walk through to get there was full of white rainlilies in full bloom. It was magical.
May 2nd, 2008
I, too, think the poppies are beautiful. My sister grew some for the first time this year, and I may give them a try this fall. I, too, have had plants bloom later than everyone else this year. I can’t explain it. Your crinum lily is so pretty. They are quickly becoming a favorite of mine.
I think I just got them started too late. I’m going to try planting them earlier next year. — mss
May 2nd, 2008
Hi – Glad to hear that Crinum takes a few years to settle in. I bought a bulb last year and it has been disappointing so far but know I know they need to settle I shall be patient.
They also like very rich soil. Unlike a lot of bulbs, however, they don’t mind mucky soil. One of their common names is swamp lily.
May 2nd, 2008
So glad your poppies bloomed! Neat-o how different the shades look in different lights. The top photo (pinker) looks more familiar to me, but I obviously need to look more closely at more times of the day.
All these “Dorothy poppies” are now seed pods here so it was a treat to see yours this morning.
I think it’s very difficult to get an accurate photo of a plant because color is so effected by the quality of light. These poppies look very lovely in pale, misty light I think and a bit garish in bright light. Thanks again for passing along the seeds. Glad to hear yours bloomed. You said you were having trouble transplanting them. I got mine started to late but I’m glad they finally flowered. — mss
May 2nd, 2008
What stunning color. That last photo just pops right out of the web page.
May 2nd, 2008
Oh! I LOVE the poppies! I am ever-so-jealous. I tried to plant some seeds this year, but the pill bugs keep mowing the seedlings over ;(
I’ve had a lot of trouble with the pill bugs. I noticed that both Jenny Stocker and Lucinda Hutson put empty grapefruit halves in the garden to attract the pill bugs (away from the seedlings). Then they gather them up and dispose of them. — mss
May 2nd, 2008
Oooh, love the Poppy! I planted seeds, but I don’t know what the seedlings look like. I hope I have some this year. Nigella is such a neat flower, don’t you love the seed pods? I also love Zephranthes, but that’s something I can’t grow here without trying to store over the winter. That one is such a great color.
May 3rd, 2008
What a lovely poppy! Wish I can start growing one soon in my country. Can I grow poopy seed in Asia? I love Petunias too. Have a look at mine with Petunia varieties. Please cooment.
http://www.squidoo.com/flower_seeds