The Californian Poppy is related to the poppy and it shows. Mission Bells consists of a mixture of different shades: white, orange, yellow and pink. These easy to grow and maintain plants are very suitable as striking eye-catchers in your garden. Do plant them in a group. They can also be used as cut flowers. The flowers of the Californian Poppy are edible and have a fresh flavour that is delicious in salads and soups. The brightly coloured flowers can also be used as garnish. People who do not have a garden can also enjoy this plant, as it can easily be grown in flower pots and boxes on balconies. Regularly remove spent flowers. Very attractive to bees and butterflies. Not hardy annual. Height: 20 - 45 cm.
Outdoor sowing: March - May
Germination: 10 - 21 days
Germination temp.: 15 - 20 °C
Sowing depth: ¼ cm
Plant distance: 20 - 30 cm
Plant position: sunny and well drained
Flowering period: June - September
Sow outdoors on a sunny plot from March on. Loosen the soil and then broadcast the seeds. The seeds can be mixed with some sand to make the broadcasting easier. Rake in the seeds gently. Keep moist and weedfree. Thin the seedlings to 20-30 cm apart, when they're about 5 cm tall. Don't transplant Your Californian Poppy, because of their delicate rootsystem.
They've a good drought tolerance, so don't water them to much. This variety can be used to cover large patches of soil or to cover empty patches in borders. Deadhead the flowers regurlarly to make sure that they flower on till the end of the summer and beyond. Leave them alone after the flower period and they'll re-seed themselfs. This plant thrives on neglect.
