Shirley Poppy

Shirley poppies are fleeting and exquisite — the large, tissue-paper flowers in shades of white, pink, salmon, red, and bicolors flutter and drop petals quickly, but the effect in the garden and the vase is incomparable. Sow direct in autumn or as early in spring as the ground can be worked; they need cold to germinate and dislike transplanting entirely.

The trick with cutting poppies: harvest in bud, just as the sepals are splitting before the petals unfurl. Sear the cut end in a flame for 5 seconds immediately after cutting to seal the sap. This extends vase life from a single day (if cut open) to 3–5 days. Self-seeds prolifically and will colonise bare ground.