BLUE POPPIES

I have seeds for Meconopsis Bailyei
Can I direct sow them now?
Directions say to start in a cool greenhouse.
"Extra special care" germinating plants are not my forte'
Has anyone grown them from direct sowing in winter?

Heres what I decided to do.
Since advise about this plant was that it didnt like out Northeast hot humid summers ,and I wasnt about to o to the trouble og greenhouse germination, I just direct sowed them where I wanted them with a marker so I can see if they appear this spring.

These are probably among the most challenging seeds I have ever tried. They are absolutely gorgeous but I don't think they are meant for our climates. I finally got some to germinate one year in the house in pots but they didn't survive transplanting. They require just the right amount of moisture, shade and coolness to do well. I believe they do well in our Northwest (Oregon and Washington). I remember having them in the fridge in the pots before they germinated. If you get them to go for you I will be thrilled because then there is a chance I could do them. I have even talked to people in England to see if they could send me plants. He said they had to be sent in the fall. Well it was too complicated for them to get the permits so it never happened. Good luck to you and let us know how you fare!!

Thanks for the info.
I doubt there will be any success with the seeds where I tossed them.
GF who visited Butchart Gardens want some. I think she believes I can work mericals and she will have these blue poppies spreading nicely in her garden next summer.
I usually share plants with her but this one is not going to happen.
I told her about the problems getting them to grow here.
She doesnt believe me.
I will not be germinating them in my fridge as I live with my children and my fridge is small and the family fridge is also limited with three people using it.
Thanks everyone who gave me the straight dope on these plants.
The seeds are direct sowed ontop of horse manuer and marked ,thats as much work as I am doing for a plant I know will not survive from the get-go.

Jo Ann, they say the only place one can grow meconopsis is in the pacific Northwest, and upstate NY. I have no idea why, and that's probably not true, but I have grown them for quite a few years, and to tell you how long, I got my origional plants from the real Heronswood. If you can even get one, they are just gorgeous.

Pollyk,

Do your blue poppies self seed or do you plant seeds? What do you think your magic is? I always drool when I see these magnificent plants but have had to live with reality. I'll must revisit Butchart Gardens, which was my real inspiration many years ago to start gardening in earnest! The closest blue poppies I can grow are Hungarian blue bread poppies!

If the seeds germinate where they are I'll be happy.
If not I will try to find a plant here in spring
My bird houses are done.
I like this one best

gardadore, I have had a very, very few seedlings. Very few. Just enough to keep going. I usually have a dozen or less blooms each year. I put it over under the lilacs, and it's in part shade and dry there. The one I have is betonicifolia.

Good luck finding a plant locally Jo Ann. Possibly Wayside. Love that birdhouse!

The Blue Poppy issue is waaaaaaay back on the burner.
They are beautiful but I tend to take more intrest in plants that give me a payback, by growing and spreading and blooming.

Me, too, but I was young and stupid when I bought it, thinking I could grow everything. Well not everything grew, but that one did. It definitely does not 'flourish' here.

These are one of my gardening goals. I can get seeds to germinate, but they damp off on me.
The garden centres sometimes bring in plants and I have got one through a winter here,but it died before it flowered.
The Devonian Gardens run by University of Alberta did have one plant flowering one year when I was there.
One purchased plant of the purple variety did over winter and flowered , then died.

They like a peat based soil to germinate.

The two books on these are "The Himalayan Garden" by Jim Jermyn.
And "Blue Heaven" by Bill Terry.

I keep trying---will let everyone know if and when I am successful.

I amended the soil heavily with peat. It's certainly worth trying.

I just ordered Hungarian Blue even though its not as blue as the Himalyian,its more lavander.
I think I will give up on the Blue

I have always wondered about the Hungarian Blue-----is it the flowers which are blue or the seeds are almost blue?

I have no idea.
I ordered first time last week, because they look so good colorwise with my JI's.
The flower looks almost lilac, not cobalt like the Himalian ones that are hard to grow here.

That is a pretty poppy even if it is not blue.
I have seeds for it--they say Hungarian Blue seed poppies so I hope they will look like your picture.

That picture is from OneStop Poppy shoppe.
I save all pix of flowers I have.And insert the pix in garden notes when I make the order so I remember whee I planned to put them.