Poppy Seed Queens

– Posted in: Seeds and Seed Starting
26 comments

Image of pink peony poppyJust about half a year ago, I was lamenting the loss of my favorite pink peony poppy. Thanks to one of my readers, I learned that these beauties are being sold on eBay. EBay! I had known that seeds and plants were sold on eBay, but had never thought to look myself.

Julie Calhoun and the One Stop Poppy Shop(pe)

That tip led me to discover the One Stop Poppy Shop. In addition to my long-sought-for pink, they carried poppies in colors I’d never seen before. My curiosity was aroused, so I put on my investigative reporter hat and my “Curiosity did not kill the cat” pin, and sent an email full of nosy questions to One Stop Poppy Shop.

Who are you, and how did you get interested in poppies?

Image of smiling woman with glassesMy name is Julie Calhoun. I live in Northern Wisconsin (zone 3) in the middle of Nicolet National Forest with my husband and 4 dogs. Twelve years ago, I met my husband, and was blessed with the opportunity to live out my dreams, gardening and being surrounded by dogs. I have 3 lovely stepdaughters and 6 adorable grandkids.

My Mother, bless her heart, is responsible for my love of the poppies. She always had the Scarlet Peony Poppy in her garden, and it was always my favorite flower when I was a child.
Image of flower bed featuring double red poppies
I grew up in the city of Green Bay, and in my adult life I lived in rentals and apartments, never having the gardens that I wished for. After I met my husband and moved 100 miles north, I finally got to start gardening, and of course, that Red Peony poppy was on the top of my list.

My mom passed on two years ago now. I grow a big Scarlet Peony poppy garden every year in her memory. They are still my favorite. I added a few more poppy varieties, and my ‘poppy love’ grew.

What got you started selling poppy seed?

Image of frilly violet poppyA neighbor lady was visiting one spring day and when she saw my poppies, she asked if I would save her some seeds. I said that I would, and it wasn’t until fall of that year when I was collecting the seed that a light went on in my head. “Gee, I wonder if anybody else would like some of these seeds?” I listed a few varieties on eBay, and they sold right away. That only fueled my appetite for more varieties. I have over 50 varieties now, and am always looking for more. It is hard to believe there are so many different kinds. So many beautiful colors and such different shapes and sizes.

How do you run your business?
I have been selling my seeds on eBay for 4 years now, and have just recently launched my own web site, One Stop Poppy Shoppe. (Just to clarify: My ebay address is www.onestoppoppyshop.com. My ebay user id is onestoppoppyshop. My web site address is www.onestoppoppyshoppe.com.) I am not an expert on poppies…. although I wish I was. I am not a professional gardener. I do not have any gardening degrees. I am simply a home gardener. I am a Poppy collector. I do not grow all of the varieties that I sell. Although I have grown them for the photos, it is more economical for me to buy some of the more common varieties. I prefer to grow the very rare and expensive ones.

All of my poppy seeds are open pollinated. There isn’t any way for me to separate them from the bees. The perennial poppies come largely true from seed, and although I have read that the annuals cross pollinate, I have not noticed this in my varieties, and I think it may take many years to see changes. I harvest and clean the seed by hand. The seeds of most varieties are weighed, though I do count out seeds by hand for some of the rare varieties.
Image of very double violet poppies

What’s the best way to grow poppies?

Poppies are very easy to grow and do not require much care. The one thing that they do require is well drained soil. We have clay here where I live, and I amend the soil with loads of peat moss, cow manure, and compost. I prefer to use liquid fish fertilizer. Poppies are successfully grown in every state of the U.S. In the deep south they are grown in the winter time.

Is there some kind of reference work on poppies?

I do have a book here called Poppies, by Christopher Grey-Wilson. That is the only one I know of.

But wait! There’s more!

Checking back with my commenter, I learned that she hadn’t bought her seeds from Julie. And that’s how I got to know another eBay seed seller.

Shelley Davis, the eBay veteran

Image of pink pompom poppies with larkspur in the background

Shelley grows the pink poppies I’ve been pining for–and better than I’ve ever grown them

What got you start growing poppies?
Image of an attractive womanI’ve been gardening since I was a kid, first with my mom, and then later in my twenties when I was a home owner. I like the unusual to be sure. I searched for poppies forever it seems and was quite naive about all the varieties (pre internet). I thought all opium poppies were Red…

Several years ago, I sold my home on 5 acres and moved in with my husband in his tiny beach cabin on Vashon Island. We put all of my stuff in storage. Since there was NO storage on Vashon at the time, we rented a big garage (a barn really) from an English couple who had a beautiful old former chicken farm here on the Island. Her gardens were lovely and I spent a lot of time with her. And, she had deep vibrant red commercial opium poppies! She had brought them from England with her. She gave me loads and loads of green pods which I took home and kept in buckets of water.

I allowed the pods to dry and kept the seeds. Since our beach property is in the woods and shady all day I could never plant them. I held on to those seeds for about 3 years. When we moved to our new house, I planted them, and much to my surprise, they came up…A good indication about the viability of seeds!! I had gorgeous gorgeous huge red plants every where!

My garden is the absolute envy of the whole neighborhood when the poppies are blooming. They are almost breathtaking and I get so many people stopping to admire them. As you can see from my front yard, poppies are but a few of the things I grow…the plants in the forefront actually grew in the gravel walk and I just don’t have the heart to pull them out.
Image of garden with poppies, larkspur, and foxgloves
Most people on this island have them in their gardens. Certainly all of my neighbors do since the seeds can’t seem to stay at home and I give them away. I think poppies should be a mainstay in any garden. They are great mixed in with perennials and the deer won’t go near them. When the poppies are blooming, the deer actually leave my garden alone for a while. Once they’re done, though, it is a deer smörgÃ¥sbord, I’m afraid.

What prompted you to start selling the seeds on eBay?
Well after growing these the very first time, I was hooked. I wanted to branch out and get other colors as purple and pinks are my favorite flower colors. Since I have been on eBay about 10 years, I used to do a lot of buying of just about anything. I started looking for poppy seeds on eBay which is how I “met” my two friends John and Pat.

I noticed that there were not very many out there, and I never saw the Turkish commercial red ones, ever. So, I decided I would sell mine so that others could find them. I named mine ‘Wizard of Oz’ and people have since “adopted” the name. I was the only one who had red for several years. It was kind of fun and I made a few extra bucks and made a new rule that I could only spend on eBay what I made on eBay…

How many different kinds do you sell?
Usually about 8 different ones. My absolute favorite one of all is my Black Peony. They have HUGE fabulous blooms, and I tend to pick them a lot and display them with my pink peonies (not poppies, real peonies).
Image of black (extremely dark purple) peony poppies with foxgloves
The blooms are as big as the peony blooms. I only have a small area for those and usually have only a small amount to sell. I am mostly out for this year and need the rest to plant in case they don’t come up again this year. I am also out of my ‘Dancing Queen,’ a single fringe petal similar to ‘Drama Queen,’ only more pink than red. I have other varieties I have never listed before. Some huge Pink Giganteums and some smallish fuchsia colored singles.

How did you first acquire your other varieties?
By keeping an eye out and asking for seeds. (I can spot them a mile away) It is the only way. I also tried buying them at the grocery store…in the cooking section. Believe it or not, some will come up. I also traded with my former eBay friend that passed away, and you can still buy them at garden stores, usually marketed under their sub names. My big black ones came from my neighbor. She had one plant and she gave me one small pod. I planted the approximately 50 seeds and had 2 plants. It took me four years to finally get them going strong. Hers never came back. I got my giant ones from a craft fair where someone was selling large pods. I just drilled the seeds out.

Do you grow your own seed stock?
Absolutely yes!

Do you try to keep your breeding lines pure?
Yes, I try to keep them as separate from one another as possible. I then mark the biggest and nicest specimens and keep the seeds from those. The ones I don’t mark go in to my “garden mix.” As a side note, it becomes very easy with time to identify poppies by their pod characteristics as they all different from each other.

Where can I learn more about these flowers?
I publish a Poppy Growing Guide on eBay. That’s a good place to start.

Time to buy seeds!

Thanks, Shelley. When I wrote about these last summer, many of you said you wish you grew them, but often forget to buy seed. This is your reminder! Whether from one of these eBay seed sellers or your favorite mail order merchant, the time is now! (Maybe past time for some of you Southerners, but the seed will probably keep for you as it did for Shelley.)
Image of inner flower structure of a breadseed poppy

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

When dealing with frost it is always best to be paranoid. In the spring never think it is too late for one more frost to come. And in the fall never think it too early.

~Rundy in Frost

Comments on this entry are closed.

skigin August 4, 2014, 11:17 am

I cannot find old poppie which I believe to be one hundred year old seed..it is a pale violet,double and it turned more pink in my sisters yard..how to find one like it??

Kathy Purdy August 4, 2014, 11:22 am

Besides combing seed catalogs, especially those with unusual or old-fashioned flowers, try eBay and Etsy. And just try googling “pale violet, double poppy”. And don’t forget to ask your sister to save seed!

bellashe123@yahoo.com November 13, 2010, 12:18 am

i have waht i believe to be a white poppy i was told it is a mexican poppy. it flowers here in spring at temps 25 degrees and above depending on the water supply cna be as much as 1 meter it has grey/green poppy like foliage is very prickly and has lots o seeds germanation is high more dependant on water than temperature. would like confirmation if this isindeed a poppy has a very bitter white sap and lots of it.

Kathy Purdy November 13, 2010, 12:54 pm

Sounds like you have Argemone mexicana, which is not a true poppy.

Christina January 25, 2010, 5:08 pm

Right now there is a raging blizzard moving through. In high hopes for warmer weather, I just ordered six varieties of poppies from your website. I became a gardener five years ago when we moved onto three acres of family prairie land that had always and only been used for hay due to the boulders of Sioux Quartzite and poor soil. I have found successful ways of making great gardens bordered with the quartzite. Last fall alone, I planted 362 new bulbs; 147 of those were tulips. That is in addition to what I already had in the ground as “hand me down” seeds and bulbs from my husband’s grandma. It is fair to say I’m obsessed! I take pride in finding rare flowers, so this should be fun!
Thanks for all of the info!

Anitajo June 25, 2009, 9:25 pm

Your gardens are nothing less than absolutely gorgeous! I planted a poppy last year and this year it has bloomed beautifully! You…. and my single poppy plant have inspired me to grow many more and other varieties, as well….thanks so much for sharing your awesome gardens with us! I will be checking out your ebay store soon…

Anitajo, eastern Montana

Connie January 12, 2009, 1:15 am

Hi there….I just love the poppies in your ebay store…we live on a farm in the country which of course, includes deer. I grow about 50 varieties of dahlias which they don’t eat, but want other flowers that they don’t eat that bloom earlier. Poppies are such happy flowers and looking forward to adding them to our garden. Thanks!

julie July 1, 2008, 12:02 pm

hi there i just love all the poppys i have seen they are reall fantasic and what wonderfull coulours julie united kingdom god bless to all

Bonnie February 15, 2008, 2:45 pm

Well, that does it. I’m inspired. I’m investigating to see if I can grow in Austin. Thanks Kathy!

Kathy Purdy January 26, 2008, 1:07 pm

Mr. McGregor’s Daughter, I can believe it. When well-grown, the foliage is spectacular.

All, I thought when you saw these poppies you’d want to grow them, so I think this interview was a success!

jodi January 24, 2008, 10:07 pm

I grow a number of different poppies too, but nothing like these gardeners. How inspiring! Poppies are among my favourite garden flowers, both annual and perennial, and we let them freerange whereever they wish. My favourites in the annuals are the black peony-type like Shelley shows in her post–we have lots of those and everyone wants them!

fransorin January 24, 2008, 8:07 am

Kathy-
Thanks so much for the information on One Stop Poppy Shop. She has an incredible collection of some not easy to find varieties. I never knew that ‘seed stores’ had sprouted on e-bay!! Fran

Mark January 24, 2008, 5:01 am

You`re post really makes me know to think about if i should grow poppies again!

Mr. McGregor's Daughter January 23, 2008, 4:34 pm

Believe it or not, I actually want to grow Papaver somniferum for the foliage, although the flowers are so flashy.

Julie January 23, 2008, 10:18 am

Susan Meyers,
Oh quite contraire! Please do not give up on these beauties! Many FL gardeners successfully grow poppies. Annual and Perennial. Fall plant in mild Winter areas. Be sure not to bury the seed. Give them a sunshiny position in a good, deep loamy soil.

Susan Myers January 22, 2008, 6:58 pm

I only wish we could grow poppies here in Florida. The only ones we can grow are California poppies during the winter months. Her garden is beautiful!

My Garden Travels January 22, 2008, 10:30 am

Kathy,
Loved the article. I only grew the double salmon, so I ordered more colors. I love supporting small specialty growers. Can’t wait to see them in my garden.

Ottawa Gardener January 21, 2008, 10:00 pm

Darn you! Now, I want to grow more poppy varities! Beautiful post.

Shelley Davis January 20, 2008, 8:42 pm

Kathy,
I enjoyed reading your articles and wanted to thank you again.

One thing I noticed that was not mentioned by either of us, is the fact that these types of poppies germinate between 50 and 55 degrees. So if it hasn’t warmed up to that temperature yet, it is probably not too late to get them started.

What I always recommend is the people sow half of their seeds in the fall and half in the spring and see what works best. The poppies will acclimate easily and nature will take over.

Ken from Sweden January 20, 2008, 2:09 pm

Poppies is one fo our favorite to.
We like perenials more than annuells. It is sad that the Peony poppies is rare to get dubble flowers one more time.
Ken

Conni Clarke January 20, 2008, 12:33 pm

Shelley is my neighbor and I truly love to walk by her garden. Her landscape is an ever-changing mix, yet I have to agree that those big black peony poppies and her pale pinks are my favorites. Someday I’ll have a lush section of garden with mixed poppies in my granddaughter Lola’s garden in New Orleans. Seeds from Shelley.

Dee/reddirtramblings January 20, 2008, 11:06 am

Kathy,

I’ve grown poppies before. I bought some from onestoppepoppyshoppe. Thanks for the interview. I’ve wanted to grow them again.

Blessings,

Dee

Julie Calhoun January 20, 2008, 9:38 am

Kathy,
Thank-you so much for telling your readers about my 50+ poppy varieties! Now is the time to start planning this years Spring gardens! Indulge a PASSION for POPPIES! I heartily recommend it!

entangled January 20, 2008, 8:38 am

What a coincidence! Just yesterday, I revisited your peony poppy post because I noticed them in a seed catalog and remembered reading about them here.

I’m going to give them a try this year, so really appreciate this timely post. Thanks!

Carol January 20, 2008, 7:52 am

Wonderful interviews. I love to read about the gardeners behind the gardens, about gardeners who identify strongly with particular flowers.

Poppies would fit in well somewhere in my garden so I thank you for the reminder. I’m probably one of those that commented that I wanted to grow some poppies, when you posted about them last summer.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens