154 FAMILIAR 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 “ peony-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 thev 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, 
