The Search For The Elusive Himalayan Blue Poppy

(Photo blatantly stolen from Katina Choovanski's Blog)

Found a Meconopsis ( the sky blue Himalayan Poppy) today at a local farm market and greenhouse - this is an "average" farm market most of the year, albeit a nice one, but in May, it transforms into a "collector's heaven"! Rows and rows of unusual, if not downright RARE plants for my area, and a lot of new (and expensive) varieties of Hostas. i make one trip there a year (any more often and i'd be living in poverty- all my money would be theirs!) i have never seen a Meconopsis for sale before around here- but there's a good reason....Yes, the tag DOES say "hardy to zone 5" - and that is where i live, in zone 5b. Unfortunately, MY zone 5 is not the same as "THAT" zone 5! The plant needs a cool, moist environment to thrive (the Pacific Northwest), and our summers get too hot and too dry. With that in mind, did i pass it up? Nope. You never know, we may have a cool, damp summer this year....maybe...:o}

i'll take any advice and/or growing tips anyone passes my way!

i had found seed for it before, and had very little luck germinating it. i did manage to get one feeble little plant going, it didn't make it. Another year, one started in it's pot, and, to my amazement, it was growing like a weed! I pampered that thing for weeks, until i realized that, unfortunately, it WAS a weed! Oops.

"White Feather" Hosta amongst the crabapple petals

So this was a strong looking little plant, and it will be my last try to see one of the blooms in living color! So, in the ground it goes, with some water holding crystals in the soil and in part shade, and i'll let you know what happens. Along with my new "White Feather" Hosta, my "Summer Glow" Tamarisk, and a couple more little treasures, it was a very fulfilling trip!

.