Papaver laciniatum ‘Lauren’s Grape’
LAUREN’S GRAPE POPPIES
Syn. P. somniferum var. laciniatum ‘Lauren’s Grape’
Papaver laciniatum ‘Lauren’s Grape’ is a wonderful colour.
Not permitted for entry to Tasmania
Deep rich plum-purple
Flowers are large bowls of silken petals, of the most luxurious deep, rich plum-purple.
All with a showy black blotch in the centre – ravishing colour.
Huge bowls of silken petals
They are tall and stately, with very large flowers.
Starring in the show gardens at Chelsea Flower Show recently.
Ravishingly lovely show in summer
Breathtakingly lovely when they bloom in spring-early summer.
Plus the rich plum-purple bowls of flowers show strikingly well against silvery-blue-grey foliage.
While the silken petals flutter fetchingly in the breeze.
Reliable treats each year
Papaver laciniatum ‘Lauren’s Grape’ are very reliable self-seeding annuals.
So you can look forward to them as a stunning show every year.
Although they are members of the Opium Poppy family, they possess very low levels of opioid compounds, and are purely decorative, rather than farmed for medicinal poppies.
They are not illegal to grow in the garden.
Wonderfully rewarding for no work
‘Lauren’s Grape’ are wonderfully rewarding and spectacular plants, for no work at all.
So the only labour is to pull out the spent flower stalks after the blooming season.
Reliable self-seeders
But if you would like more gorgeous ‘Lauren’s grape’ for next year – just leave a few fat seed pods to dry on the stalks, and they will happily scatter their progeny for next season.
Or you can cut some seed pods as they open, and pop them into a brown paper bag to drop their seeds. And then you can scatter the seed in new places, or share with friends.
Some low tech gardeners even just pull out the spent stalks with pods intact, and lay them on the ground as a mulch, wherever they want ‘Lauren’s Grape’ flowers next year.
Treats for florists
Both the fresh flowers and the dried seed pods make super cut flowers for florist’s vases.
Water-wise & heat tolerant
Plant Papaver laciniatum ‘Lauren’s Grape’ in Full Sun.
These Poppies are very water-wise, and well adapted to happily return each year in places with hot and dry summers.
After all they probably originated from eastern Mediterranean areas such as Turkey, and northern Africa, but have happily adapted to many areas – wherever the summers are hot and dry.
Rabbits & deer leave them alone
Rabbits and deer do not like the bitter taste of ‘Lauren’s Grape’ Poppies, and seem to know they are not good to eat.
Satisfyingly Quick & Easy from seed
Plants are very satisfyingly quick and easy to grow from seed.
And they are perfect candidates for just scattering seeds in the garden where you want them to grow.
Tip for raising maximum number of poppies
However if you don’t like sharing with the scratching birds and marauding mice.
Then start the seeds indoors, for early flowers and highest rate of germination (and not sharing). And make sure you sow the seeds in small but deeper pots, rather than a punnet.
Just place a very small scatter of seeds in each pot because Poppies grow long tap roots and resent being disturbed.
So sow your seeds sparingly into individual little deep pots, and then plant the seedlings out in the garden by the whole pot full rather than disturbing and trying to separate them (don’t worry they germinate in lush abundance).
Hardy reliable self sowing annual
90cm High of plum-purple bowls of flowers x 30cm Wide of silver-blue-grey foliage.
SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suits beginners & gardening with kids
Sow Papaver laciniatum ‘Lauren’s Grape’ seeds at any time in little pots or cell trays indoors, whenever suitable temperatures can be provided (18-22°C)
OR
Sow directly in the garden in autumn or spring.
Sow indoors for quick plants & early flowers: First sow the Poppy seeds thinly onto the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Tip for sowing Poppy seeds easily: Poppy seeds are very fine. So pop a pinch or two of fine sieved seed raising mix into the seed bag first, shake well, and then sow the entire contents of the bag.
This will ensure you sow the seeds thinly and more evenly for better germination.
Then press the seeds gently into surface of the mix, but do not cover with mix.
Because Papaver laciniatum ‘Lauren’s Grape’ seeds need light to germinate.
Now thoroughly moisten the sown small pots by standing them in a shallow water bath and allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.
Place the moist, sown pots / trays in a warm, well-lit position (not in any direct sunlight).
Temperatures of 18-22°C are optimum for rapid germination.
Continue to keep consistently moist by misting from a spray water-bottle.
Covering the pots with a clear lid or plastic bag can also help to maintain consistent moisture and reduce watering.
(Remove cover as soon as germination commences).
Seeds germinates in 7-21 days approx.
Seed Count: 50 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).
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