Meconopsis x sheldonii 'Lingholm'

Meconopsis x sheldonii ‘Lingholm’
LINGHOLM BLUE POPPY

Huge deep cobalt blue single poppy flowers up to 10 cm across make Meconopsis x sheldonii ‘Lingholm’ one of the “Holy Grails” for gardeners.
Once you have seen one, you are smitten, and cannot think of anything else except possessing one.

This poppy from the Himalaya’s is far superior to the more commonly seen Meconopsis betonicifolia (syn. M. baileyi).
Because it clumps up, multiplies quite readily, and can be divided to bulk up your display.

Like all Himalayan Blue Poppies, Meconopsis x sheldonii ‘Lingholm’ enjoys a sheltered, shaded, cool spot in the garden or in a pot, with humus rich, damp, well drained neutral to acid soil.
The secret is to find a place where you can keep the humidity in the air up – so a shade house or fernery area is perfect.
Once you have your treasure happily settled it will self seed for you.
And then you take photographs from every angle, open a Facebook account, and brag unmercifully.

80cm. High in flower x 50cm. Wide perennial foliage clump.
Image by J. Brew.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Meconopsis seeds can be sown at any time in good quality seed raising mix.

Cover seeds thinly with river sand or sieved seed raising mix.
Then moisten the sown punnet well by standing it in a water bath so the moisture percolates all the way through to the surface from the bottom.

Now place the sown, moist punnet in a cool spot.
No artificial heat is needed as this can cause rapid germination and fungal attack, or make seed go into a deeper dormancy.

Seedlings usually appear within 3 to 6 weeks but some can take much longer. But this is a normal process in nature to stagger germination, to ensure some seeds will germinate into a variety of conditions. So do be patient and do not discard the punnet.

When the seedlings have a set of true leaves, pot on into small pots and protect from hot sun.

Then plant out in a shaded, moist humus rich slightly acid soil. It is natural for some Meconopsis plants to be herbaceous and die down to a large resting bud.

Sowing Tip: Meconopsis seed is exceptionally fine (like dust). So it is a good idea when you open the seed packet to put a little fine sieved mix or fine sand in. Then shake around well. This will pick up the seed and make it easier for you to distribute it evenly onto the surface of the punnet.

Seed Count: 10 seeds per pack approx. (Seed of this rare poppy is scarce).
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

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Meconopsis x sheldonii
‘Lingholm’
LINGHOLM BLUE POPPY