Poppies have a relatively short bloom-span, which means that they may not provide continuous color in the garden throughout the year. However, there are ways to ensure that your garden remains full of color year-round by planting different varieties and annuals alongside the poppies. This combination of plants can create a visually appealing and diverse garden.
One important thing to consider when growing poppies is whether or not you want them to spread. If you do not dead-head the flowers, allowing them to go to seed, the poppies will naturally spread and self-seed. This can be a beautiful and low-maintenance way to fill your garden with poppies year after year.
On the other hand, if you prefer to have more control over where the poppies grow, it is best to dead-head the flowers before they have a chance to produce seeds. Dead-heading simply involves removing the faded flowers from the plant. This prevents the seeds from developing and spreading throughout the garden.
Personally, I have let poppies seed in my garden and I enjoy the way they naturalize and spread. However, I understand that some gardeners prefer to have more control over their plants and may choose to dead-head to prevent spreading.
If you decide to let your poppies seed, it is important to keep in mind that different varieties of poppies may cross-pollinate and produce hybrids. This can result in interesting and unique variations in the flowers, but it may also lead to some loss of the original characteristics of the individual varieties.
To summarize, poppies can spread if you allow them to go to seed. This can result in a natural and beautiful garden, but it may also lead to some loss of control over where the poppies grow. If you prefer to have more control, dead-heading the flowers before they seed is recommended. Either way, poppies can add a vibrant burst of color to your garden and create a visually appealing landscape.
