Papaver somniferum Fluffy Venus

The Sleeping Poppy or Papaver somniferum 'Fluffy Venus' is a new and original 'poppy'. This annual poppy displays fringed flowers in a reasonably deep pink shade, with a large white centre adorned with a central collar of pink petals. The reverse side of the flowers is entirely white. They are carried by sturdy stems emerging from very ornamental, silver-green foliage. This variety is easy to sow directly in open ground and will thrive in sunny, light, and well-worked soil.

The annual poppy 'Fluffy Venus' is a recent and original horticultural variety from the Papaveraceae family. It comes from Papaver somniferum var. nigrum, which is found in Asian mountains as well as in Europe, on the limestone terrains frequented by poppies. This plant, probably originating from regions between the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, has given birth to many varieties cultivated for a long time for ornamental purposes. 'Fluffy Venus' has magnificent silver-green foliage, with beautiful lobed and elliptical leaves showing a notched edge. From this tuft of foliage, 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18in) wide, tall stems emerge from June to August, bearing splendid solitary flowers 80 cm (32in) above the ground. They are semi-double but well-opened, with slightly frayed and silky petals, resembling a pink-almost-red fabric in tatters. The centre of the flower is marked with a broad white halo bordered by mauve around a small collar of petals in the same deep pink. The flowering gives way to a characteristic fruit filled with tiny black seeds, very ornamental, which takes on slate blue reflections as it dries, changing with the light due to the crystallised wax coating that protects it. Sleeping poppies have a taproot that does not tolerate transplanting well, so it is preferable to sow them in place.

At ease in sophisticated gardens, cottage gardens, and gardens without gardeners, sleeping poppies allow for the quick and effortless creation of oceans of infinitely delicate flowers, moving in their bright, dark, or pastel colours, dancing on the silver foam of their foliage. While they are not very long-lasting in bouquets, the 'Fluffy Venus' Poppy flowers have an incredible charm when planted en masse, in front of large daisies or the shifting foliage of grasses. Like the cosmos, this annual plant has no equivalent for filling the empty spaces between annuals or large late-flowering perennials such as sunflowers that take over in full sun.

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