Poppy

The last five years weve tried to grow these, every year we couldnt get passed the sprouting phase, we would thin them out and a week later all would be dead: This year I followed the specific directions of how they do these over in the areas of pakistan, and similar. Basically, you prep your ground, 50 percent mix of basic soil(nothing fancy) and 50 percent fine sand. Sprinkle your seeds and then lightly rake them into the ground, trying to get them about 1/2 to 1 imch below the surface. And then the hardest part, now I know why in previous attempts we were so unsuccesful. Once the seeds have been spread, leave the entire area alone. Do not thin them, do not bother with the occasional weeds, and most important, go against every instinct you have in regards to watering. In fact, let nature run its course, and just leave the entire area alone. And this is what we got in return. These seeds came from a mix of "oriental" and "california" packages, explaining the beautiful variety of colors and shapes.