Saturday, June 29, 2013

Something with poison in it

Poppies! Poppies will put them to sleep... These, however, aren't the right variety of poppy for that. Those would be the larger pavots or opium poppies. This variety is commonly called coquelicot or the field poppy, and it grows wild in a large part of France. In late spring and early summer, whole fields of these flowers paint the landscape bright red.

The center of a field poppy's flower. It looks like something out of the Land of Oz, doesn't it?

A small batch of these poppies "popped" up next to our hedge along the road this year. I'm hoping to encourage them to spread by collecting and redistributing the seeds when they're ready.

Our weather is about to change and we're expecting a week of warm summery weather. Yippee! Our spirits will be lifted and the vegetable garden will get a good dose of warm sun. We all need it.

10 comments:

  1. WHOA! up close and personal with a wild poppy! it does look glam, doesn't it?

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  2. So much detail in such a tiny flower.

    This photo, THIS one, is now my all-time favorite of your photos and I don't think it can ever be topped.

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  3. I used to grow poppies when I lived in the midwest. Lovely flowers. They are much slandered with their association with the opium wars.

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  4. As a kid I remember my aunt sending us out to collect the seeds! She would make wonderful poppyseed cakes and muffins with them......are these the same kind of poppies I wonder?

    L

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  5. Amaaaaazing photo, Walt!
    Tour de France... I can't imagine how any of them can do that whole race with un peu de dopage. Are the Schleck boys in it this year?

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  6. If I was a jewelry designer, I could be inspired by this photo! Especially that soft green acorn-like center with 'spider' trying to pry off the top! I'm thinking a pendant or perhaps a brooch. Very nice, Walt!

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  7. Fantastic photo and YEA for your summer weather, it's about time!!!!!!

    BettyAnn

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  8. Fantastic photo ,, I love poppies , Not many round here though some people do grow them in their gardens.

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  9. Lucky you!! You get to see the entire race. If I'm lucky, I'll get to see a few minutes on TV and whatever I can find on the internet.

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  10. Thanks for all the comments! Twice in the past week I responded to comments on previous posts, only to hit the wrong key and watch my responses disappear! I didn't try to re-write them. Sorry about that. I'll try to be more careful in the future. :)

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