Himalayan blue-poppies

[Mousetoescamper]

I visited Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, yesterday to photograph the annual display of blue-poppies (Meconopsis ‘Lingholm’). The poppies are native to the Himalayan mountains and require cool temperatures and specific soil conditions to bloom. Longwood is the first garden to cultivate them on a large scale for indoor display.

[lark]

1. Gorgeous blue treasures! I bet they fed your soul!

I felt that way after visting the Cummer gardens this week - full of joy for nature and how plants overcome the adversity of our storms and still bloom on!

[Mousetoescamper]

9. Thanks, Lark! Yes, they are inspirational!

[SheltieLover]

2. Gorgeous!

Ty for sharing.

[Mousetoescamper]

10. Thanks and you're welcome, SheltieLover!

[2naSalit]

3. Those are beautiful!

Do you have a picture of the whole plant?

[Mousetoescamper]

13. Thanks, 2naSalit!

I don't have any good photos of the whole plant, but this might do. There's a closeup of the two blooms in the set above.

[2naSalit]

48. Thank you!

This picture is sufficient since there are several of them which provides multiple angles. I like to see the leaf/stem structure of the plant.

Nice little garden patch!

[Diamond_Dog]

4. Absolutely amazing!

I never heard of blue poppies before. Your photos of them are gorgeous!

[Mousetoescamper]

14. Thanks, Diamond_Dog!

[brer cat]

5. Gorgerous, Mousetoes!

[Mousetoescamper]

15. Thanks, brer cat!

[MayReasonRule]

6. Gorgeous!!

I and my honey would love to visit Longwood sometime in the near future!

[Mousetoescamper]

17. Thanks, MayReasonRule!

I highly recommend that you visit the garden! Last week Longwood was named Best Botanical Garden in the U.S. by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

[CrispyQ]

7. These are soooo lovely!

Someday I would love to have a bouquet of all blue flowers.

[Zackzzzz]

16. Lithodora and Iris

I have had success with these.

[CrispyQ]

45. Those names sound like a couple of 18th century witches.

I hadn't heard of Lithodora. It's very pretty. My grandfather grew delphinium, which I love, but IIRC he put a lot of work into them. There's a farm down the road with the most gorgeous morning glories, coming soon! There's a whole long fence of it.

When it comes to blue though, I'm no snob & I like dyed carnations, too.

[Mousetoescamper]

18. Thanks, CrispyQ!

[murielm99]

8. OOOOh!

[Mousetoescamper]

19. Thanks, murielm99!

[Figarosmom]

11. I've tried several times to grow them

Never got it right. They are incredibly finicky.

[Mousetoescamper]

21. Temperature would be the most difficult condition to control

[Figarosmom]

37. Yeah the last time i tried i figured

I had a nice deckled shady place on the north side of the house. Soil may not have been acidic enough.

[Ilsa]

12. Before I saw the replies, "georgeous" was the

first adjective that came to me. Stunning would be another.

[Mousetoescamper]

22. Thanks, Ilsa!

[Easterncedar]

20. Gorgeous!

I have been intrigued by these for decades, and finally saw them blooming in April in the English garden in Yokohama.

[Mousetoescamper]

23. Thanks, Easterncedar!

[Easterncedar]

24. I am hoping to go to Longwood in 3 weeks

Next time I will have to time my visit to see these.

[Collimator]

27. If the opportunity presents, Chanticleer is also worth a visit.

Hope that I don't sound obnoxious; I know that I bring up Chanticleer in Wayne, PA when someone else brings up Longwood.

Not trying to make it a competition, but Chanticleer is less well known, so I like to spread the word.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

38. Chanticleer is a little gem!

Great pix of Longwoods blue poppies! Thanks for sharing.

We're members of Chanticleer & Longwood (and Winterthur) and have not been to any of them in weeks!

Visited Chanticleer for a preview day a few weeks ago. Must make time for all three this week!

[Easterncedar]

53. My master gardener travel companion now hopes we can visit Chanticleer too!

Thanks!

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

54. I'd been hearing how Chanticleer was an absolute must see

from my Master Gardener buddy (my buddy who is one, that is. I'm not!) for years before I got it together to go. Finally, about 6 years ago, I managed to make it. My husband & I have been members every year since then!

It's about an hour drive for us, so we don't get there as often as we'd like, but it's always worth the drive when we can fit it in!

I hope you get there this Spring, which is always spectacular. But any time during their open season is a joy.

[Easterncedar]

55. Thank you!

I love this community. Such serendipitous connections.

[Mousetoescamper]

30. They bloom for 10-14 days

[Easterncedar]

32. The pistils look like golden fireworks

[lynnyl]

25. Just bought seeds for these

Will have to research carefully how to grow them. Have a collection of blue and almost blue perrenials around my yard.

[homegirl]

29. Keep us posted

on progress and results.

I am curious if they can be grown indoors-without green house conditions.

[Mousetoescamper]

33. I wish you great success!

[radical noodle]

26. Stunning

Love the bits of purple peeking through the blue.

[Mousetoescamper]

34. Thanks, radical noodle!

[Bumbles]

28. I treasured one that I was able to grow in my Maine garden, looking for its curled stem to begin to elongate

and rise above the cool soil. The most I got was two blooms each spring. Then the slugs found it despite my having salted the ground with sluggo.

[Mousetoescamper]

35. Congratulations on getting the blooms! As others here have confirmed, they're difficult to cultivate.

[Hope22]

31. So beautiful!

Those blues just make me want to dive right in!💙💙💙💙

[Mousetoescamper]

36. Thanks, Hope22!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

39. Wow, my dear Mousetoescamper! Gorgeous, breathtaking, amazing, etc etc etc!

I've never heard of them before. I don't think they would work here; it's too warm.

How lucky you are to have them there and in such numbers!

[Mousetoescamper]

42. Thanks, Peggy!

I've been to Longwood many times over the past seven or so years, but this was the first time I planned my visit to coincide with the blooming of the blue-poppies. They bloom for only 10-14 days and are done until the following March.

[applegrove]

40. So pretty.

[Mousetoescamper]

43. Thanks, applegrove!

[calimary]

41. Now THERE is what we can call "love at first sight"!

[Mousetoescamper]

44. Indeed!

Thanks, calimary!

[Walleye]

46. Beautiful photos, amazing blooms. I love Longwood Gardens.

[Mousetoescamper]

47. Thanks, Walleye!

[FemDemERA]

49. Beautiful! Thank you

For sharing!

[Mousetoescamper]

50. Thanks and you're welcome, FemDemERA!

[Deuxcents]

51. Thanks for bringing the beauty of the world to us. Looks similar to our hibiscus down here. 🌺

The blue is so unique..just lovely

[Mousetoescamper]

52. Thanks and you're welcome, Deuxcents!