Papaver Orientalis "Royal Wedding"

Gentle Reader ~~~

Very little, other than nature allowed free reign, is happening in the garden, but I managed a few quick moments to capture the perfection of poppies that are bursting forth in brightly, blousy, beauty even as I type ~~~

I apologise to those of you who also blog, that I am struggling to read, never mind leave comments, on your lovely online journals, but I am hoping to get a round to doing so very soon. I know there are many lovely words and pictures to look forward to ~~~

Some three years ago, just as the plants in pots were going over at the local independent Plantsman's Garden Centre, I picked up a bargain of two pots of oriental poppies for the knock~down price of just £4.00!!! I could not resist, especially as they were Royal Wedding and Patty's Plum ~ two beautiful poppies, but then, when poppies are in your top five most favourite plants, what poppy isn't beautiful in its papery and transient delicate froth of tissue paper petals ~~~

You may remember, a week or so ago, that I shared photographs of my Coral Sea oriental, and now the Royal Wedding is coming in to rival it in all its majesty.

Royal Wedding is the most pristine white bloom imaginable, and releases from the green bud in a crumpled mass of petals that rival any royal wedding gown ~~~ the centre is deep purple and pink, with dark spots and it is one of my absolute favourites in the orientals that I grow ~~~

This was the first bloom to open, and is perfectly offest with early flowering borage bridesmaids in attendance ~~~ also, the perfect garnish for your royal Gin and Tonic ~~~

Wild foxgloves, too, adorn the garden ~~~

and I think I'm in poppy heaven ~~~

Set against a perfect blue and cloudless sky ~~~

Let us take a closer peek, shall we?

~~~in we go ~~~

Wouldn't this make a perfect hat for Royal Ascot that Gertrude Shilling would be proud of ~~~

I just love the colours and textures, so full of  movement too, in the omnipresent breezes of the Shire ~~~




and now there are two ~~~

So perfectly pristine, so glistening, blisteringly white, in the bright, early morning light as the sun climbs from the east, rising into the pristine and clear blue sky above my cottage in the Shire ~~~