Find Us:
Cosmos in the Garden
  • Blog
  • Gallery
  • Publications
  • About me
  • Ask Jarek
  • Polski

Papaver, Poppy, Amapola, Mak, Coquelicot, Klatschmohn and so on.

7/26/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
In The Language of Flowers Book (one of many) poppy represents, apart from magic: life and death, good and evil, light and darkness and, of course, fruitfulness. The list of symbols was  updated after the First World War when it became the  Remembrance Poppy. This way poppy got entangled in a lot of meanings -  a great responsibility for a modest, unpretentious  and quite short-lived flower. The flaming petals must have some kind of power over us that we  all tend to ascribe so contradicting messages to them. If we add another sense to poppy flowers  and call it 'love' all ambiguities will vanish, as this powerful word as none,  can harmonise incompatible notions. So can flowering poppy plants in the garden: go together with the other ornamentals.

Field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) is a common weed. I feel sorry for depriving the plant of its symbolic importance by calling it this way. I am doing it on purpose only to emphasize that being a weed can be a great asset in the garden. I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous,  but not in the case of field poppy. Let me assure you that it will never pose a major threat to any plants growing in the garden the way other weeds do. What I would like to highlight here is the fact that poppies  can be grown as  additional plants  together with other ornamentals, simply among them. Why not take advantage of it and sow poppy seeds in flower beds meant for perennials or annuals? The grace of poppy stems and the colors of poppy flowers introduce a lot of air into the garden. Sadly, the flowers  do not last long, only one or two days. But the short show is  really spectacular. Various shades and tones of reds, pinks and whites. Single  flowers with a black or white spot at the base  of their  petals or double ones.  By letting the  seeds  mature in the capsules we can be sure that some of them will germinate the following spring  in unpredictable locations. A perfect example of fruitfulness. Those symbols cannot be wrong. 
Jarek
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Author

    I was destined to be born gardener. In order to become a professional  one I had to enjoy years of studying at various  schools and  universities...  read more

    Archives

    Kwiecień 2015
    Styczeń 2015
    Grudzień 2014
    Październik 2014
    Wrzesień 2014
    Sierpień 2014
    Lipiec 2014
    Czerwiec 2014
    Maj 2014
    Kwiecień 2014
    Marzec 2014
    Luty 2014
    Styczeń 2014
    Grudzień 2013
    Listopad 2013
    Październik 2013
    Wrzesień 2013
    Sierpień 2013
    Lipiec 2013
    Czerwiec 2013

    Categories

    Wszystkie
    Annuals
    Biennials
    Bulbs
    Corms
    Country Gardens
    Country Gardens
    Dry Decorations
    Fall
    Flowering Shrubs
    Flowering Shrubs
    Flowering Trees
    Flowering Trees
    Flowers
    Food
    Forrest
    Grains
    Grasses
    Herbs
    Leaves
    Meadows
    Orchards
    Other
    Perennials
    Potted Plants
    Rhizomes
    Roses
    Shade
    Shrubs
    Spring
    Summer
    Trees
    Tubers
    Vegetables
    Vines
    Winter

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.