Battle Creek, Mich. 
ORIENTAL POPPIES 
“For dazzling barbaric splendor, the great Oriental Poppies are absolutely unri¬ 
valed.” The stamens of Poppies are said to be the most beautiful stamens of all 
flowers. The gigantic flowers sometimes reach a diameter of 12 inches or more, while 
a diameter of 9 to 10 inches is common. 
Many new hybrid varieties have been introduced in recent years, greatly extending 
the color range and showing much improvement in habit and form. 
In large gardens, Oriental Poppies should be planted by hundreds or even thou¬ 
sands, either alone or combined with other material, to achieve bold landscape effects 
of startling originality and charm. 
EXT'RA SPECIAL OFFER.—With every order received for Oriental 
Poppies at list prices, amounting to $50.00 or more, we will include FREE 
one root of ROYAL ROSE. 
CULTURE 
The chief requirement of this most striking plant is that it should be moved only 
after the beginning of the dormant season about the 15th of July, and from then until 
the ground freezes in the fall. It is important in transplanting that the plants be set 
deep enough to place the cronvn three inches belo^jo the surface. After the 
ground freezes, a light covering of straw or coarse litter should be placed over the 
ground to prevent the plants from being heaved out by alternate freezing and thaw¬ 
ing which, in our experience, is the most common cause of winter killing. Plants also 
may be killed by planting where water will stand over the crowns in winter, or by 
cutting off the crowns after growth starts in the spring. 
Direct contact of air or of water with, the crowns are the most frequent causes 
of failure with poppies. Special care should, he taken immediately after the 
blooming season to see that exposed crowns are well covered with earth. 
The plants like full sun, but do well in partial shade, especially certain of the 
darker colored varieties. Plant about two feet apart. 
With careful attention, spring planting of Oriental Poppies up to May 1 usually 
proves successful but is not recommended. The use of vitamin may insure quick growth. 
Oriental Poppies may be raised from seeds, but almost 100 per cent of seedlings 
usually show flowers in some tone of orange scarlet. 
SIZE OF PLANTS 
Prices except as noted are for LARGE, FIELD GROWN PLANTS, AT LEAST 
TWO YEARS FROM PROPAGATION. We find that such plants are much more 
likely to live and grow well and to bloom earlier and more freely than the small, pot- 
grown plants sent out by many nurseries. It should be remembered, however, that 
some varieties make only about half the growth of others in a given time. 
Capital initials of color names in description of Oriental Poppies indicate that the 
color values are those found in “Color Standards and Nomenclature,” by Ridgway. 
We always have at Arvista Gardens numbers of varieties, named and unnamed, 
which either are on trial or are not yet in sufficient quantity to w^arrant listing. This 
applies to all four of the groups in which we specialize. 
The National Poppy Committee feel that for the best interests of both the public 
and the dealers, the number of Oriental Poppy varieties listed should be radically 
reduced, as so many are practically alike, and others have been replaced by greatly 
improved sorts. 
Accordingly, the Committee has agreed upon the following standard list of 34 
varieties and, as soon as present stocks can be reduced, to limit commercial lists to not 
more than 50 varieties, thus permitting each grower to list up to 17 varieties of his own 
choice — either his own or others’ new introductions, or other varieties that he may 
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