A prolific bloomer - this poppy sends up two dozen or more lovely little flowers. With black blotches on red backgrounds that look just like ladybirds. From a 10cm (4in) pot they will start to flower within a month and keep going for about 3 to 4 weeks.

Each bloom will only last a couple of days, but more are always coming up. Each single, red, cup-shaped flowers have a black blotch in the centre.
Every garden needs a poppy and this one is an exceptional annual. They are a delight to grow and very easy from seed.

Grow in deep, well-drained, fertile soil in full sun. Enrich soil with manure, compost or bone meal ahead of planting, (or any organic fertiliser rich in nitrogen). Poppies grow quickly; give sufficient water to increase both the number of flowers and their individual size. Although these poppies gobble up the nutrients, their eventual show will be more than worth the proper environment.

Sowing : Sow in pots in Autumn or directly in Spring
For Autumn planting sow seeds in peat pellets or newspaper pots, poppies do not transplant well at all because they have very sensitive root systems. Seeds germinate in less than two weeks. Keep moist at all times, transplant to larger pots as seedlings grow. Plant out in Spring
Otherwise, sow direct where they are to flower in spring at around 20°C (68°F) in short drills 12mm (½ in) deep. Cover lightly with soil, mark the sowing areas with a ring of light coloured sand and label if sowing more than one annual in the same bed.
The seedlings will appear in rows approx 6 to 8 weeks after planting and can be told from nearby weed seedlings quite easily.
Thin the seedlings out so they are finally 30cm (12in) in apart by early summer. Be ruthless, just leave the biggest and most healthy looking. By doing this, you'll get more flowers and pods per plant that are bigger and stronger.

Cultivation:
Poppies don't need to be watered too often, but when you do water, give it a nice soaking. This will promote strong root growth. After about 6 to 8 weeks of vegetative growth, add a high Phosphorus fertilizer for the flowering stage.
Poppies will begin to bloom 10 to 12 weeks from the time you plant them. Their petals will drop after about 48 to 72 hours. The pods will continue to grow for the next couple weeks. During this period, it's very important not to water them unless absolutely necessary. Once pods turn a bluish tint with a white film on top, they are ready for harvest
Remove spent flowers to encourage prolific blooming. At the end of the season, if required, leave a few plants to die down and self seed. Others can be pulled up and composted.
The most serious problem for these poppies is root rot. Excellent drainage is a must. Snails find the young leaves very tasty, so a snail deterrent is recommended. They can be prone to grey mold, but usually this is only a cosmetic issue. Once they get established, they are very hardy.

Cut Flowers:
Poppies make good cutflowers if you singe the cut ends with a candle flame to stop the flow of sap.

Plant Uses:
Cottage/Informal Garden, Flower Borders and Beds, Flower Arranging