Breadseed Poppies - Papaver somniferum

[Tucson Grower]

Of course I'm choosing two varieties to grow for ingredients (the seeds) for some traditional Bohemian pastries. Fortunately I have my mothers personal recipe book. I know the names we were taught for these pastries, but they're too unusual to attempt to spell here. Once I've copied the recipe book to CD/DVD/BluRay, for posterity and my daughter, Aimee I'll try to revisit this thread and add some of those names, once I figure out how to spell them. Even my grandfather and his brother each spelled their last name differently - grandfather spelled it, Jurichny and his brother spelled it Jurichney.

Both varieties have purple flowers in honor of my wife, her 74th birthday would have been today, 16 January.

and

[FrostyTurnip]

Much love to you on her day of memory.  Poppy seed tea is a good tonic and it’s legal.  

[heavyhitterokra]

Tucson,

What beautiful photos, and what a wonderful way to honor your Wife's memory. I could look at those bright and happy photos all day long ...

I do something similar here. My Mom grew little purple, white, and yellow crocus flowers all over her lawn back in the late-1960s, and early 1970s, while she was still living.

Of course, being perennials, the little bulbs continued to multiply and carry on for years and even decades after Mom was gone. When we moved here back in 2004, one of the first things I did was transplant a few of those tiny crocus bulbs to our new location.

Now, each February, the memories flood back every time when those little crocus bulbs leaf out and blossom.   

It's almost like having her here beside me on those cool, crisp, sunny, days when I see those blooming; but crocus blossoms, like memories, are fleeting, and pass by quickly as a vapor.

Though they don't hang around for very long, I'm sure glad they are so diligent in visiting here once per late Winter.

Thanks, for posting and sharing that Tucson Grower.

[chrysanthemum]

I’ve just been reading all your flower threads and noticing the purple in them. I had not realized that your wife had passed, @tucson Grower. I am so very sorry for your loss. I think you have made beautiful choices to honor her memory.

[Tucson Grower]

Yep, I just sowed 6 cells of Papaver somniferum 'Giant', breadseed poppies. The first of three similar but different varieties (originally only 2, but I found another I like), all of them purple/lavender. Starting them in late winter is an experiment, I may need to repeat it late this coming summer - for autumn/winter growing.

[Tucson Grower]

All of the poppy seed I sowed of the giant variety have now germinated.

I've also discovered several other varieties, from various seed vendors; I might try some of them, also.

[FrostyTurnip]

Aw, I’m so jelly.  My Shasta daisies are coming up.  

[Tucson Grower]

If only those came in purple, too.