My Blue Poppy Pictures

          While I was recently strolling the gardens of Europe, my first ever Meconopsis was blooming at home. Before posting my last two posts with the pictures of Kew Gardens, I want to show you my blue poppy flowers.
          Five plants were bought last year, and two of them are blooming now.
Meconopsis sheldonii (label says: 'Deep Blue. Good drainage. 3-4 feet tall. Shade. Early summer'):

          The two blooming plants grow in different places. One is located in my so called Terrace garden, a sunny place with approximately six hours of sun. It's surrounded by other tall plants which partially shelter it from bright light and winds.

          The second blooming plant grows in my so called Accidental bed , a more shady area with about 3 hours of afternoon sun.

          Three other plants from the same batch bought last year are not yet blooming.
           Although the label of my blooming poppies says 'Shade', from my small experience of having Meconopsis I can tell that my plants do like some sun. The plant from the sunny Terrace Garden is taller, bushier and has bigger flowers than the plant from the half-shady Accidental bed.
          Beside Meconopsis sheldonii, I have two other plants, Meconopsis betonicifolia, which were planted earlier, three years ago, and still don't bloom. They spent two years in a shady place and had stunted growth there. After that, I moved them to a spot with several hours of morning sun. They look better now, and are bigger and healthier, but I still wait for them to bloom.

 After reading and hearing about Meconopsis flowers' beauty, I am excited to see them in my own garden. They truly have an exceptionally beautiful blue color and, to my delight, they have already bloomed for more than three weeks.

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The following information' source: Perennials.com

Meconopsis × sheldonii Blue Himalayan Poppy USDA Zone: 3-9 Blue Himalayan Poppies are one of the most impressive plants for the shade garden. This forms a rosette of hairy leaves, bearing large satiny flowers in an amazing range of shades from true blue to violet purple. Not always easy to please, demanding an evenly moist, rich soil and cool woodland conditions. Plants are not always long lived, typically flowering in the second or third year, setting seed, then dying out. Gardeners in hot and humid summer climates seldom succeed with these plants, yet they are surprisingly tolerant of cold winter conditions. Further details for Meconopsis × sheldonii Optimal Growing Conditions Appearance and Characteristics Sun Exposure   Partial Shade Soil Type   Normal Soil pH   Neutral or   Acid Soil Moisture   Average or   Moist Care Level   Moderate Flower Colour   Deep Blue Blooming Time   Early Summer   Mid Summer Foliage Color   Light Green Plant Uses & Characteristics   Accent: Good Texture/Form   Border   Rabbit Resistant   Massed   Specimen   Woodland Flower Head Size   Large Height    80-100 cm    31-39 inches Spread    30-45 cm    12-18 inches Foot Traffic    None Growth Rate    Slow *

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