Quick Guide: summer, half-hardy, full sun, height: 30-60cm/12-24in, width: 15cm/6in
Eschscholzia californica, the Californian poppy, is a dazzling candidate for the summer border, especially on dry soils. It blazes with colour - red, orange, yellow or pink - right through to the autumn. The flowers arc followed by cylindrical seed pods, 7.5cm/3in long and blue-green in colour.
PROPAGATION Successive sowings ensure a long flowering season. Sow seeds in the flowering site at 2-week intervals throughout the spring, thinning the seedlings to 15cm/6in when they are large enough to handle. Alternatively, sow in early autumn and protect with cloches over winter for flowering the following year.
GROWING For brightly coloured blooms a poor, sandy soil is best. Flowers required for cutting should be picked when in bud. Self-sown seedlings do well in succeeding years.
VARIETIES `Ballerina', mixed colours, semi-double flowers with fluted petals; `Mission Bells', mixed colours, only 23cm/ 9in high; 'Harlequin Hybrids' (above).
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS Generally trouble-free.
