Coral Pink Oriental Poppy
I have had a beautiful coral pink oriental poppy for 4 years. Every year it has about 10 or more flowers.
A month ago I bought metal plant rings advertised as naturally rusting to give the olde worlde look! Herrumph! As my oriental poppies always get thrown about in the wind, I plunked in one of the metal plant rings thinking this would hold them all up really well. The other plant rings are in with roses and all sorts and all have worked really well - but the one on the oriental poppy has rusted a lot with two weeks of rain and then a few hot windy days. The oriental poppy was coming on great guns a week ago with several buds mid-way down ready for the stalks to pop upwards.
The last few days - the leaves have yellowing and all of the buds seem to have rotted away. I'm suspecting it must be the plant ring which has caused this. Does it look like this is the culprit? Can't believe how it has rotted in just two or three days.
!. Rotted bud
2. Leaves discoloured
3. Metal plant ring
The hosta was transplanted behind it a couple of months ago from dividing a huge hosta. It's the only thing other than the plant ring which is new to the poppy's vicinity. I'm thinking that the hosta also is now looking paler than it should with a bit of yellow.
I collected seeds from the poppy last year and they should be growing in this crate along with aquilegia seedlings - but I seem to have three rows instead of two rows and other than the middle row looking like aquilegia - I'm guessing as to the other seedlings. One lot look more like foxglove (the front row) with maybe a poppy or two in between. I've had foxglove seedlings popping up all over the garden, in pots, in beds.
Last edited: 19 June 2017 22:03:01
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I don't think the ring is the problem, yarrow. The hosta is too close but I shouldn't think that did much harm either. I also have several of these poppies and two have done exactly the same as yours, so I am guessing something in the weather conditions has affected them. However, the poppies are not dead and may well recover later or next year.
That's for that quick response Posy. I had thought I'd dig it out - but now I think I will just leave it and see what transpires.
You are right of course, the hosta is too close. I'm not even very fond of how it looks but it's one which throws out lovely flowers late summer. I might get rid of it as it seems to be going pale. If I'm not having lovely pink poppies - I'd like to put something tall but not wide, to allow the poppy the space. My thought in putting the hosta there was for something when the poppy dies down. Well, it's sure died down - for now!
Thanks for that.
Last edited: 19 June 2017 22:46:38