Thursday, April 25, 2013

Mystery Solved

Last summer I had rose moss plants in my mama's old cast iron wash pot.  They were way too thick and never bloomed much because of the heat.  When fall came, and the plants had died back, there was one little green plant on one side of the pot.  Its leaves were different, so I left it, out of curiosity, thinking it might have come from a stray seed and was probably only a weed.  It survived the cold, frigid days with no covering and very little water.


As temperatures began warming, the plant began growing, to a height of about twelve inches, and soon there were buds appearing; buds which reminded me of little red poppies I had in my flower beds years ago.  Could it be? 

This morning, one bud was standing up straight and I could see a tiny bit of red.  By 10:00 a.m. the bud had burst forth into bloom, and I was thrilled to see that it is a poppy!

 
When I grew these before, I purchased the seeds from a  company that sells wildflower seeds. and sometimes a free packet would come with a gardening publication advertisement.  I think these are sometimes planted along highways so you may have seen them.
 
So, the mystery is solved; now I'm hoping the other buds will open and I will be able to save some seeds to plant next year.  By the way, the chicken wire over the hens and chicks plants, in the first picture is to keep the DOGS from scratching them out.
 
Charlotte 

14 comments:

  1. I have tried growing poppies before and have never had luck even though I see them wild - how neat that you have one.

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  2. What a lovely surprise Charlotte. It is absolutely perfect.

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  3. Aw, that's wonderful! What a neat surprise. I bet you're glad you let it grow to see what it would become. Poppies are so pretty.

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  4. Oh! That's beautiful! I'm so glad you left it there to let it grow. I'm like Karen...I've tried to grow poppies but haven't ever had any luck. Maybe this fall I can get some started somewhere. I still have an envelope with seeds that you gave me (if they're still good!).

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  5. I love, love, love when a plant surprises me!! I actually stand right there and smile...

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  6. What a gorgeous poppy. I like mysteries like that. You deserve that beautiful gift after the droughts & cold you all have suffered.
    Here's wishing you a pleasant weekend of blooming flowers and sunshine. :)

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  7. I love poppy's and never luck.
    But scatter seeds every year.
    What beautiful entries I just caught up on.
    Thank you or missing me...

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  8. Now I want poppies...just like your little poppy. I know there will not be one wasted seed from this little beauty.

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  9. Wow~ what a wonderful surprise, Charlotte! Don't you just love it when something grows wild and pops up on its own?
    I understand about the wire, too... we don't have a problem with dogs, but we have a feral cat that comes through here at night (probably looking for rats and mice) and it digs up our mulch and uses it for a litter box. *UGH*

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  10. What a wonderful discovery. The poppy is beautiful. I hope many more bloom. I love surprises that turn out so well.

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  11. Don't you just love those plant surprises. I learned the hard way to leave a plant when you don't know what it is - I tried to pull out a hollyhock for a few summers in my new home because I didn't know what it was.

    Lovely flower and gardeners have to do what they have to do to protect their plants!

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  12. Nice surprise! I can't believe commenters said they couldn't grow poppies. I have so many poppies! I have tried and can't get rid of them. Some have taken over where I don't want them - I pulled those all up last year and they all came back. But, I will admit, that it is hard to dig them up and get them to survive when you try and transplant them.My poppies are beginning to bloom now, too. They are pretty.

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  13. poppies grow widely in my country, there is a famous poem about the poppies of flanders. but I love them for a very different reason, my mother grew them with a lot of succes and whenever i see one they remind me of this beautiful person I lost.

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