Too late to plant poppies?

I'm in Zone 7, and I've got about 8 oriental poppy plants on the way. I have some Oriental Red and Iceland seeds (both perennial), and I'd like to add them to the bed, but I worry that it's too late to sow. It's 58 here today, though....sure feels cold to me! The rest of the week should be a little warmer but just as rainy. What ever shall I do?

I've also got some annual seed: California and Shirley. Is there any way I can sow these now as well?

If not, I'd love to hear other suggestions for the bed...I've got quite a few Chinese Lantern plants (both kinds), and I may do some Irises. I need some low-growers for the outer edges. Full sun, of course!

Thanks!

I have to warn you that the Chinese lantern plant that I grew, turned out to be like it wanted to take over the whole bed, it sends out underground root/runners and will cover yards of earth with these runners within 2 seasons, so watch out for this happening.
As for the poppy seeds/plants, no you could plant them right now or within the next week in your zone, wait till the soil warms a bit then plant them out or if your soil is at a stage where if you dig, it dont stick to your spade, if it does, then it is still too cold and wet, but poppies are as tough as old boots really and just make sure when the actual plants arrive, you soak the roots in a bucket of water for an hour to get the dried bits to plump up nicely, after you plant them and it turns really cold again, good idea is to cut the bottom of a clear plastic juice container, remove the cap and place them over the plants, this acts like a little mini greenhouse, but if it becomes sunny in the day, remove the covers to let the air and natural sunlight harden them naturally. add a handful of feed to the planting hole too as they are hungry feeders, I am sure your poppies will survive. good luck. WeeNel.

Thanks for the advice, WeeNel! I'll keep my eye on the Chinese Lanterns....I'm starting an entire back yard garden from scratch, so prolific growers are welcome for the time being.

Hi again Brooklyn, if your starting from scratch, then the best way to fill your beds/borders is by planting flowers in 3, 5, 7, of the same plant, that way you get a border filled with the flowers you like and it looks much better than just one plant dotted about here and there, often you wont notice a single plant on it's own, but in blocks of odd numbers they are better at supporting each other and look more like they are meant to be , sometimes a single plant on it's own gets lost in among larger plants, space them out at the distance recommended on the label when you buy them as after about 3 years they will have really spread out and require lifting and separating again, good luck, have great fun designing you yard and most of all, enjoy. WeeNel.

Hey, thanks! Now I don't feel so badly about ordering at least 3 (and sometimes 12!) of each plant. I'm still wondering about my annual and perennial poppy seeds, though...is it too warm to toss 'em out there now?

i did a half a yard of wildflowers, with TONS of poppies as extras 3 years ago. the first season it took a while to get rid of the crummy lawn i had, so i didn't have my soil prepared for a while. i didn't get my poppy seeds in until beginning of june, june 7 to be exact.

i had a gorgeous drop dead awesome crop of poppies (gorgeous red) mid summer extending all the way to early fall.

the next year when they were self sown, it was much earlier bloom time, and done much early too.

i'm upstate from you, and zone5/6.

my poppies are poppin'! just sprouted this weekend!! woooohooooo!