We didn’t invite them, but this crowd of opium poppies showed up anyway, pushing in behind the garden fence along with several other blooming gate-crashers. There’s a whole bunch more behind the garden shed. Papaver somniferum – the sleep bearing poppy, Asian in origin but now naturalised in Britain on waste ground and in field margins. And in case you are wondering, in our cool climate it does not produce the latex from which opium is derived. Better to get high by looking at them. And what a cheering sight it is on a Monday morning. So poppies, we’re glad you came. Please feel free to make yourselves at home here.
For more 4th July blooming visit Cee at Flower of the Day.
Tish Farrell 
These photographs make my heart sing…..:)
That’s just a lovely thing to say, Janet 🙂
nice edge to watch the world from!
I’m lucky to have it. If I look the other way it would be lots of noisy big trucks. It’s a good lesson in not expecting things to be absolutely perfect 🙂
Get high by looking at them! Great idea, Tish….
Nice to have such unexpected visitors…
have to confess that did not know these beauties were the same flowers that produce dreamy latex -there’s a touch of the wicked witch of the west over your garden fence Tish
Ah now what have you invoked, Laura? There will be much naughtiness abroad I’ll be bound.
I have to admit that seeing these poppies in bloom anywhere, along roadsides, wasteland, roadsides, they seem to be some of the most resilient flowers around. They are happy moving here or there, I have often had to wonder if they were gifts from passing birds? I say this mainly because you can look at an old spot that has set with nothing on for years with nothing but tall grasses and weeds growing on hot dry lot, then suddenly from out of nowhere, the poppy family springs to life!
Also worth noting as my grandmother used to say about poppies, is they move of their own free will. they will come up or be planted on one side of the yard in one garden, there you are watching for them every year in the same spot, where are they? Where did they go? Ah, look they are clear across the yard in the other flower bed, how in the world did they get over there? We did not move them, they did not appear anywhere in the yard in between gardens.
They seem to say, hey look that tree is getting too big over there and they shaded us too much, so last fall we packed our bags, and wondered across the yard this winter to a new home, where it is sunnier, we will be sending for the rest of the family this fall. If you are not going to move us, we will just have to move ourselves!
As always Tish, amazing photography and writing! Wow and the sun does shine in England some days! and you caught it on film! 🙂
Yay. I caught that sun, though it’s escaped me now. I love your poppy essay, Mitchell. And you and your granny are so right about the way they come and go. Also last year we had only a couple of pale purple-pink ones. Now we have these deep purple ones, and scarlet ones, and some with frilly petals. Who knows what they’ll come up with next – or where.
Aren’t they just the most fabulous, uplifting creations, Tish? And all for free! 🙂 🙂
That’s right, a lovely free gift out of the blue 🙂
Tish your poppies are so beautiful. I like your perspective on the first photo. Happy 4th.
Thanks so much, Cee.
These are beautiful, Tish. Sad to say our poppies have not mad an appearance this year …. so far.
Well you never can tell with ’em. They may crop up yet in your domain.
I may have cleared the area before they dropped seeds. I can’t remember. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Lovely flowers!
I love poppies, Tish, and seeing these does make me high, in all the best, natural ways. Merci beaucoup! 🍷🍷
Cheers. Sante, Janet. Thanks for the dinky glass or two 🙂
It’s great when such lovelies arrive on their own!
Happy poppies! I have one growing in the car park area, but no idea what type it is. I hope it is as glorious as your invaders 🙂
A very welcome gate crasher indeed.
Getting high by sight alone?
Jealous of your garden. Especially those artichokes, which I’ve been trying to cultivate – with limited success. Your horticultural posts have been culturally uplifting.
Culturally indeed! I’m surprised you can’t grow artichokes though. Do you start from seeds or plants? Seeds can be a bit dodgy or so I’ve read. Suckers from an established plant seem to work best. I don’t do anything to my plants, though I sometimes remember to give them a compost mulch. They don’t mind dry weather either, which is just as well because I never water them.
I don’t water much, but without rain here you need to water a lot. I’ve harvested two or three artichokes per plant and they flower the next year a bit. Flying to London tomorrow! Don’t think we’ll get out to your neck of the woods, but if we do I’ll try to get in touch – if only to see a healthy garden.
Happy flying. It would be great to hear from you 🙂
So beautiful!
It’s probably “The Wizard of Oz” in me but I cannot help but smile when I see poppies. Your photos certainly did that for me this morning. Thanks! 🙂
So happy to hear that, John. Cheers!
Reblogged this on lenalimhamn's Blog and commented:
Love them. Love wonder. Love nature.
Love them. Wonder. Nature!