Spring is Around the Corner

Drive by beauty in Vallejo! 

Rain makes the Flowers grow

Poppies are hardy survivors

 

They are back!  A little traffic island on Georgia Street in Vallejo is again a home for the California State flower: the Golden Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)!   Every year this brilliant eruption of orange poppies appears!  Nature is working hard to make us smile; when I drive by them, I smile back.

Where did these beautiful flowers come from?  There is no cut out in the concrete island, there is no soil, there are no hanging baskets, how do they survive?  Look closely and you can see where they are anchored.  They are growing between the cracks of the concrete!  Originally the first seeds were probably windblown and took hold in the small concrete cracks, found some soil, and sprouted.  The poppies must like it here because they reseed every year!

Poppies are easy to grow and are drought tolerant.  They will grow almost anywhere where they can get at least 6 hours of sun.  They need little water and germinate in the fall after the first rains or in the spring when the soil warms. They will self-germinate if they find the soil and other conditions favorable.   You may have several years of golden poppy heaven before you have to re-seed.  Ideally, they prefer sandy well drained soil but as you can see, they are pretty good in almost any soil.  They flower February through September.

I guess these poppies could be considered a weed.  A weed is an unintended, unwanted plant.  If the City wanted the poppies, they would have put a flower planter there.  Unintended but unwanted?  I think it is a wanted plant.  I enjoy them!  I am sure their bright colors bring joy to everyone who sees them. 

Now is the time to look for and plant poppies! There are other varieties of poppies white, red, and other colors. A packet of 50 seeds costs less than $4.00. Re-wild our open spaces with our State Flower!

This small wonderland of poppies in an urban setting is spectacular.

If you get a chance visit amazing super blooms now erupting throughout California.  According to the LA Times, Lancaster CA has some spectacular displays of poppies. For up to date info on super blooms visit: https://www.parks.ca/gov

ca poppies 2

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