154 FAMlLIAli GARDEN FLOWERS. 



monly white as those of the British poppy are commonly 

 red. It is, however, a sportive plant, and is met with in a 

 variety of colours, of which the sample here figured is 

 perhaps the most pleasing-. The distinction we appear to 

 make between the field poppies of England and Greece 

 must be understood to apply to them only as common 

 flowers of the field, for our red poppy is to be found in 

 Greece, and the Greek white poppy is to be found in Eng- 

 land ; but in each case we may say of them they are as 

 strangers and pilgrims. 



Our business is to regard the poppy as a familiar 

 garden flower, and we are therefore bound, in the first place, 

 to say that the " pseony-flowered " and the ' ' double- 

 fringed " poppies that are described in the seed catalogues, 

 and that are to be regarded as " garden poppies " in the 

 fullest sense of the word, are really splendid flowers of 

 their class, and perhaps the cheapest splendours available 

 for the English garden. That they last " no time " is 

 rather an advantage than otherwise, because, having 

 startled us by their noble forms and gorgeous colours, they 

 wisely get out of the way to make room for something 

 else, as if well aware that the evanescence of fireworks is 

 one of their charms : for what would become of us if they 

 were to sparkle and crackle all night ? But there are other 

 and nobler garden poppies, different in style, but not 

 necessarily more pleasing, but, all things considered, very 

 much to be desired by those eclectic souls who look upon 

 the garden as a sort of open-air museum for things curious 

 and beautiful. We must therefore attempt a little essay 

 on garden poppies. 



All poppies, without exception, thrive best when fully 

 exposed to sunshine and air,, and on a dry, gritty soil. 



