California poppies - Eschscholzia californica

[Tucson Grower]

While growing up I remember seeing lots of these in the wet winters, often rolling hills covered in their gorgeous gold, going on for countless miles. Back then, I never thought there could be other colors.

Now there are many variously colored and textured varieties available - if only I could get the rabbits to stop eating them as soon as they sprout. Its a miracle CA isn't buried in rabbits.

[FrostyTurnip]

That would be amazing to see.  Only thing similar I’ve enjoyed was in Denmark.  Yellow flowers in May covered every clear unused field.  Never found out what they were.  I think they were a wild mustard type plant   

Oklahoma has had an organization dedicated to throwing out flower seeds along the highways.  They reduced the mowing and people drive around throwing out out cali poppies but they don’t make it.  Mostly paint brush flowers and wild echinacea.  

I’m growing Shirley poppies that get big and tall.  Such a fascinating plant.  My favorite isn’t the flower, but its dangling bulb.  I must double dig to get them to establish and grow them in a secure area.  

My favorite flowers are black eyed Susan’s and Shasta daisies and then purple cone flower.  The black eyed Susan’s are native.  If left undisturbed and the climate is agreeable in timing and watered, they can grow to 5 foot high.  They remind me of joy and hope under harsh inconsistent  weather conditions. 

[Tucson Grower]

It was amazing, and the daytime breezes wafted around their rich aroma, not really sweet, but certainly distinctive. I hear that, these days, invasives have affected those historical vistas.

I do appreciate those Echinacea and the Coreopsis, too. I saw some felds of wild Coreopsis, over in New Mexico.

[Tucson Grower]

Okay, I just received fresh seed of variety, "Purple Gleam", I plan to make a frame of 1x2 lumber, then staple some 1 inch chicken wire over it. I'll plant the poppies under the chicken wire, with the hope that the rabbits will be slowed down enough the poppies might grow and bloom through the wire. Perhaps I should plant some areas of wheat - away from the poppies, to keep their attention elsewhere.

[FrostyTurnip]

The wheat might help a bit.  Rabbits are finicky and prefer a diverse diet.  I trained my dog to chase them off.   They do prefer the low hanging fruit.  

[Tucson Grower]

Well, I just obtained fresh seed for "Yukon Gold" and "Purple Gleam" varieties of California poppy. I'm going to try sowing them in two areas, next to each other, so I can cover them both with the same piece of 1 inch chicken wire, if necessary - to help protect them from rabbit predation.

And, nearby I plan to plant a few patches of wheat/rye mix.

[FrostyTurnip]

Enjoy the cereal grains!  I like growing wheat, just for the sake of growing it.  

[Tucson Grower]

Update: As per planting recommendations on the seed packets, I simply roughed up some 4x4 foot areas with a garden rake, then sprinkled the seed and watered it in. I planted one area of the 'Purple Gleam' and one area of typical golden yellow, "wild type". Since then, which was a few months ago, I watered the areas, morning and late afternoon, on days that weren't already raining. I never noticed any sprouting, though I checked carefully and often. I was about to give up, then today I noticed that I have one sprout, about 1 inch in diameter of the wild type - woo hoo. Despite recommendations, in the future, I think I'll pre-start them, then transplant, even if that is more difficult.

[Tucson Grower]

Woo hoo. I now observed 1 seedling of 'Purple Gleam' and 2 seedlings of wild type.