Poppies From the Past

Here you have one of my treasured plants that comes up from seed every year. I have real trouble deciding where to pull them out and where to let them stay. They make garden planning tricky, but I love them too much to care.

This plant I actually did pull out right after I took it's picture. If singles are allowed to stay around long enough to contribute a lot of pollen, the flowers will revert back to type. I like the doubles so I take a deep breath, and out the single plant comes.

These poppies have a history. Our previous garden was just across the driveway from our old Victorian house. Ed turned the lawn there into garden much like he does here, one square of sod at a time. He had removed the sod from a spot next to the driveway, and since some time passed before he got the bed started, plants began to grow there. I spotted the gray-green leaves right away. I knew they were something special. Work on that bed stopped as I watched the plant grow. Imagine my delight when the first frilly pink poppy appeared.

We don't know how the poppy got there. It could have been the wind, or birds, but I like to think that the original owner of the house back in the 1800 s had a garden and grew these poppies. I read that poppy seeds need light to germinate and I like to think that they were buried and came up when the sunlight hit them. It makes me feel my garden is connected to the past. The garden where we used to live is gone again, but I brought seeds with me and the poppies grow here now. I still feel connected, and I love my gorgeous pink flowers.

BORER WAR UPDATE: I saw a squash borer moth today. Identity is confirmed by Google images. The enemy has arrived. Hope the plan works!!!