Papaver somniferum Flemish Antique - Opium Poppy seeds

Papaver somniferum 'Flemish Antique' is a charming annual poppy, with large peony-like flowers in tousled pompons, striped with white and pink tones with shades of dark red. Each one is composed of a multitude of crumpled and randomly coloured petals that give it a unique beauty. Opulent flowers that bloom in summer, at the end of tall, sturdy stems emerging from abundant, wavy, cut, glaucous green foliage. The flowers are followed by decorative fruits filled with seeds. This variety is sown directly in open ground in spring, or early autumn in mild regions. It will easily self-seed in light, sunny soil.

The annual poppy 'Flemish Antique' is a horticultural variety dating back to 1996, obtained by Sahin, classified in the category of opium poppies with peony-like flowers. All poppies belong to the Papaveraceae family. 'Flemish Antique' is derived from the closely related Papaver "paeoniflorum" to P. somniferum. The latter is found in Asian mountains, but also in Europe, on limestone soils. This plant, probably originating from regions between the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, has given rise to a multitude of varieties long cultivated for ornamental purposes. Its life cycle is annual: the plant germinates, flowers, produces seeds, and dies in less than a year.

'Flemish Antique' has magnificent glaucous foliage, with beautiful lobed and elliptical leaves showing a notched edge. From this 30 to 45 cm wide clump of foliage, remarkable solitary flowers emerge from June to August on tall stems, 80-90 cm above the ground. Reaching 10 cm in diameter, they are very double, spherical and formed by countless petals. The flower's centre is almost invisible. The floweringis attractive to pollinating insects and gives way to a characteristic, onamental fruit filled with small black seeds which takes on slate blue highlights when drying, changing with the light, due to the crystallized wax film that protects it. Opium poppies have a taproot that does not tolerate transplanting well, which is why it is preferable to sow them in place. They are hardy annual plants, early autumn sowings are able to withstand not too harsh winters. In this case, flowering is earlier in spring.

Opium poppies are at home in sophisticated or romantic gardens, cottage gardens and neglected gardens where they quickly and effortlessly create infinitely delicate waves of flowers, moving in their bright, dark, or pastel colours, dancing on the foam of their foliage. Simply scatter the seeds on well-prepared soil among other plants, along borders or in flower beds. While not very long-lasting when cut, the flowers of the 'Flemish Antique' Poppy have a charm when planted en masse, with large daisies, among the shifting foliage of grasses, or even with landscape shrub roses. This annual plant, like cosmos, has no equivalent for filling in empty spaces, between annuals or late-flowering perennials like giant asters that take over, in full sun.

Once the flowering is exhausted, there are still the fruits, precious for dried bouquets and often perceived as a majestic element of the garden or a somewhat enigmatic vestige of summer.