Plant California Poppies
December is such a busy time of year, most of us can’t get out in the garden much. But if you can find just a little time, and have a bit of open space in your garden, now is a good time to sow seeds of our stunning state flower for a glorious show in late winter through spring.
How to sow poppies:
1. Choose site with full sun and good drainage (they don’t like soggy soil).
2. Use rake to roughen up ground.
3. Mix poppy seeds with sand or fine potting soil.
4. Sprinkle seed mixture over planting area and lightly rake into the soil.
5. Sow seed right before a rain, if possible, or water with gentle spray so as not to dislodge seeds. Water weekly if it doesn’t rain until you see buds.
The California Poppy, Eschscholzia California, was named after naturalist Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz who was with a Russian expedition that anchored in San Francisco bay in 1815. The hills surrounding the bay were covered with the golden flowers. Named the state flower in 1903, they are protected from picking or destruction by state law. What better flower to represent the Golden State?!
I like the new blog! Short and sweet. Makes gardening sound so easy. I would run out and get poppy seeds if I didn’t live in zone 5. Keep writing. I’ll pass it along.