for June, 1121 



607 



Oriental and Iceland Poppies 



RICHARD ROTHE 



DTRIXG the latter part of }ilay and the first half of 

 June, the Oriental poppies represent a conspicu- 

 ous color note in the floral aspect of the garden. 

 A few warm days and the large, green egg-shaped buds 

 bursting bring to light the intense shades of fiery red, 

 orange, scarlet, crimson, maroon and more recently also 

 white and beautiful salmon ])ink masses of huge flowers, 

 which for strong near and distant effects prove invalu- 

 able. It is the festive jubilant brass tone of cornet and 

 trombone in the great color symphony of our herbaceous 

 gardens. We have seen those large silky, lustrous petals 

 time and again, but their beauty exerts its charm anew 

 every ensuing season. In character it is fleeting — • 

 oriental, hailing frc.m the land of wonders of Aral.iian 



us that Spring is swiftly approaching. As a result of 

 gentle southern breezes, we may see our Iceland poppy 

 bed literally aglow with the brightest tints of white, sul- 

 phur, deep yellow and orange red. Light frosts seldom 

 prove seriously injurious to flowers of Papaver nudicaulc. 

 Their stems are long, thin and wiry, bearing their blooms 

 very well both in the garden and in a cut state in 

 the vase or bowl on our table. 



Papaver nudicaulc, while classed among perennials, is 

 usually better treated as biennial. Sowing the seed in 

 early Spring enables us to raise a fre.sh supply of young, 

 strong- plants of uniform size for the following year. 

 Like most of the poppies, they do not like to be trans- 

 planted while in a growing condition. It is for that rea- 



.Vwsi^ 



Papaver Nudicaulc 



Nights, the land of flowery language and gay colors in 

 apparel. Oriental poppies are indispensable inmates of 

 American gardens, feeing familiar with their habit of 

 growth, we are aware of the withering and gradually 

 drving up of the otherwise highly ornamental foliage 

 during Mid-su:nmer. To avoid unsightly bare spots on 

 the border, gladiolus bulbs planted between, near and 

 aroimd oriental poppies prove serviceable. In the Fall 

 when the gladioli have finished flowering the new ground 

 foliage of the popjjies appearing at that time finds suffi- 

 cient light and air for normal development. 



Of the bright red varieties, Oriflamme, Trilby and 

 Goliath are known to be robust growers and very florifer- 

 ous, while as leaders in salmon pink we note Mrs. Perry, 

 Princess Victoria Louise and Queen Alexandra. Perry's 

 White is distinguished by pure satiny white petals with a 

 crimson maroon blotch at their base. 



Propagating oriental poppies true to name and color 

 of varieties is only possible by root cuttings or divisions. 

 The proceedings in raising stock from seed during the 

 early part of Spring are so well known that we need not 

 dwell on it again. 



South of New York, sometimes as early as in March, 

 around Boston in April, along the sea coast of Maine 

 and the southern part of Canada in May, the Iceland 

 ]>oppies begin to open their nodding dark green masses 

 of buds. Hardly has the Winter cover been removed 

 when the pinnate, glaucous foliage, which so far harl 

 been lying flat on the frozen ground, commences to ri-e 

 and within a few days as a compact green tuft reminds 



Papaver Oricnlalc Mar\ Mua'urhuc 



son advisable to establish and over-Winter plants where 

 they are desired to bloom the coming Spring. Iceland 

 poppies no doubt add effectively in strengthening and 

 beautifying the vernal aspect of our gardens and home- 

 "Tounds. 



THINGS AND THOUGHTS OF THE GARDEN 



[Continued from paiie 600) 



its subterranean agressiveness. It should be rigidly 

 barred. The first named is entirely different. With it's 

 slender stems clothed with succulent, glaucous leaves and 

 flowers variable in color but usually of orange and violet, 

 it always commands attention. Rut, unfortunately, its 

 constitution is far from robust. With us it is best treated 

 as an annual, although in favorable positions it may persist 

 for some years as a perennial. 



The dainty little Alpine Poppy, Papaver alpinum, is 

 worth the extra attention that its cultivation demands. 

 If you can imagine a miniature P. nudicaulc you will 

 have a gootl idea of its fragile loveliness. 



We must skip the Primulas, the alpine species of which 

 we know all too little of in this country, and pass on to 

 the J'.uttercups. There are two sjiecies whose presence 

 should be striven for, namely, Raiuiuculus montanus, 

 about five inches high, with none of the coarseness usually 

 associated w^th the buttercups, which has bright yellow 

 flowers an inch across : and R. grainiiicus, also with yel- 

 low blooms, which are borne on slender stems about eight 

 inches high, rising well above the entire linear-lanceolate 

 leaves. 



