Papaver Orientalis "Coral Sea"

Gentle Reader ~~~

Today, I'm sharing with you one of my favourite stars of my flower borders ~ my Papaver Orientalis "Coral Sea" ~ a beautiful, oriental poppy in the most delicious shade of orangey pink ~~~ {the colour reproduction here does not do it justice}

I bought a small potted plant from a local, independent plantsman's garden that just took my fancy about five years ago, and when I got it home I struggled to find a spot for it. In it went though, with not much thought other than concern to get it into the ground, and it obviously loves its spot, for it flourishes ~~~ the first year it rewarded me with about eight tea cup sized blooms of the most delicate tissue papery flowers I think I have ever seen. The following year, the plant nearly doubled in size and gave me about eighteen blooms, slightly bigger, and staggered in their flowering so that the beauty graced that corner for a few weeks longer than the previous year.

In its third year, the plant was even bigger and there were so many blooms {I lost count after thirty} that I now no longer count them, I just look for their arrival and eagerly await their grand entrance, for, although short lived {only a few brief days each bloom} they are big and blousey now, each bloom around five inches across, but still of the most delicate nature, like tissue paper dresses to adorn a prima ballerina as she sweeps across the stage, delighting all who see ~~~

The buds are gorgeously green and fabulously fat, and quite hairy, resembling a misshapen Kiwi fruit ~~~

For days the slowly appear, pushing upwards from the mass of leaves that form the plant, teasing me as more and more appear in the wings ~~~

Each passing day, they plump and fatten ~~~ until ~~~ one sunny Saturday morning as Spring is slowly turning to Summer ~~~

~~~and then the real magic begins ~~~ on Sunday ~~~ as the bud bursts open ~~~ and the true beauty is revealed ~~~

It is quite unfortunate that, as the buds begin to burst, {and many are ready to do so in the next few days} a band of torrential rain and high fifty to sixty mile an hour winds is set to sweep across us from the wild Atlantic and this is not the first year this has happened ~ oh! Timing is Everything! The first few buds will be sacrificed to the weather, but after that the forecast calls for lighter winds, warmer days, with no rain so the buds~in~waiting have a better chance of showing off their splendour.

As each year turns the seasons, the plant just goes from strength to strength, and now I am watching as it spreads around a nearby rose shrub and now covers several square feet in my border! I maybe should consider seeing if I can divide the root and make more plants to spread around the borders, increasing the beauty even more ~~~ there are more Papaver Orientalis too ~ a Royal Wedding {white petals and darkest navy blue centre} and a perfectly plumptiously plummy Patty's Plum and they sit in my 'holding bed' where they, too, are multiplying madly! Hurrah for Free Plants!

~~~A Gardener's Work is Never Done ~~~

Photographs I Thought I Had Lost!

Gentle Reader ~~~ a few years ago, when my much loved Papaver Orientalis "Coral Sea" {which you have seen often on my blog, for it is a particular favourite of mine} was new and gave me just five magnificent blooms in that first season, there was a promise of what was to come ~~~ I just happened to come out of my cottage at the most opportune of moments.  I honestly think if I had been an hour earlier or an hour later I would have missed what has become 'one of those moments' in my life. 

One of the great, big, green buds, about the size of a large Kiwi Fruit, and all covered in the finest and tiniest of fuzzy hairs, was in the process of opening and oh! what an opening it was ~~~ I rushed indoors to fetch my camera immediately!

I think the whole birth of this bloom took about three hours from the first tentative cracking open of the protective bud to the final emergence of the complete and perfect bloom, like a beautiful ballroom gown, fit for any waltz, or the skirt of a ballerina as she floats across a stage ~~~ layers and layers of tulle~like petals scrunched and folded into an otherwise uninteresting package ~~~ never, ever judge a book by it's cover!  Who would have realised such magic, such beauty, was about to emerge from such a boring bud ~~~

Just look at all the textures within each image ~~~ so amazing that it survived, so tightly packed, so delicate and fragile, a perfection of God's creative hand indeed ~~~ I was over the moon to think that I was chosen to witness this and to record it too ~~~ it is still one something that amazes, delights, and humbles me to this very day ~~~ Some of the images are very similar, and some are post edited, but I have included all for you to see, for each one holds it's own special merit ~~~ I haven't even talked about the colour!

Here, Gentle Reader, is the delicate texture of the crumpled bloom, held captive for so long as it grew encased inside the tight, green bud, finally breaking free of it's bonds, revealing such fragile petals, tightly packed, full of creases releasing, like the most expensive silk dress of a Princess emerging from her tiny, Cinderella carriage ~~~

While a Gardener's Work is Never Done, some days the rewards are more special than others ~~~

 ~~~A Gardener's Work Is Never Done~~~