Just about the easiest to grow of all our hardy annuals. The Californian Poppy, also known as ‘cup of gold’ and ‘golden cup’ has wispy, fern-like foliage and lively, bright orange, red and yellow flowers.

Dazzling through the summer, plants are drought tolerant, thriving in light, poor soil. Richer soils tend to produce more foliage at the expense of blooms. These cup-shaped flowers are perfect for dry, sunny slopes and do well in coastal gardens. If required for indoor displays, cut stems when the buds are in advance stages, but still furled.

How to Sow & Grow Californian Poppy
Californian poppies will thrive in poor, well-drained soil, but they need full sun for the flowers to open. Sow outdoors where they are to flower, 0.5cm(¼in) deep, directly into finely prepared soil which has already been watered. Seedlings usually appear in 14–28 days. Thin seedlings to 15cm(6in) apart. Water well until plants are established. For a continuous display make sowings at two to three weekly intervals. Sowings made in curves rather than straight lines often create a more pleasing effect. Remove dead flowers to prolong the flowering season. Sow some direct to pots and tubs for easy summer colour.