Our Plant of the Month Papaver orientale or Oriental Poppy produces delicate flowers from May to July above bristly, grey-green leaves. The flower colours vary from white, through pink to red.
They are a fast-growing plant and easy to grow, the pale papery flowers contrast especially well with purple foliage plants such as Heuchera.
Try it alongside grasses or late summer-flowering perennials, such as dahlias, which will provide interest when the plant has died back.
They take little care just cut back to ground level after flowering and lift and divide large clumps in autumn.
They prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil and are fully hardy. If you don’t want them to take over the whole border, dead head before the plant sets seed.