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Mousetoescamper

(5,967 posts)
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 09:42 AM Sunday

Himalayan blue-poppies

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.

















54 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Himalayan blue-poppies (Original Post) Mousetoescamper Sunday OP
Gorgeous blue treasures! I bet they fed your soul! lark Sunday #1
Thanks, Lark! Yes, they are inspirational! Mousetoescamper Sunday #9
Gorgeous! SheltieLover Sunday #2
Thanks and you're welcome, SheltieLover! Mousetoescamper Sunday #10
Those are beautiful! 2naSalit Sunday #3
Thanks, 2naSalit! Mousetoescamper Sunday #13
Thank you! 2naSalit Sunday #48
Absolutely amazing! Diamond_Dog Sunday #4
Thanks, Diamond_Dog! Mousetoescamper Sunday #14
Gorgerous, Mousetoes! brer cat Sunday #5
Thanks, brer cat! Mousetoescamper Sunday #15
Gorgeous!! MayReasonRule Sunday #6
Thanks, MayReasonRule! Mousetoescamper Sunday #17
These are soooo lovely! CrispyQ Sunday #7
Lithodora and Iris Zackzzzz Sunday #16
Those names sound like a couple of 18th century witches. CrispyQ Sunday #45
Thanks, CrispyQ! Mousetoescamper Sunday #18
OOOOh! murielm99 Sunday #8
Thanks, murielm99! Mousetoescamper Sunday #19
I've tried several times to grow them Figarosmom Sunday #11
Temperature would be the most difficult condition to control Mousetoescamper Sunday #21
Yeah the last time i tried i figured Figarosmom Sunday #37
Before I saw the replies, "georgeous" was the Ilsa Sunday #12
Thanks, Ilsa! Mousetoescamper Sunday #22
Gorgeous! Easterncedar Sunday #20
Thanks, Easterncedar! Mousetoescamper Sunday #23
I am hoping to go to Longwood in 3 weeks Easterncedar Sunday #24
If the opportunity presents, Chanticleer is also worth a visit. Collimator Sunday #27
Chanticleer is a little gem! Dark n Stormy Knight Sunday #38
My master gardener travel companion now hopes we can visit Chanticleer too! Easterncedar Monday #53
I'd been hearing how Chanticleer was an absolute must see Dark n Stormy Knight 31 min ago #54
They bloom for 10-14 days Mousetoescamper Sunday #30
The pistils look like golden fireworks Easterncedar Sunday #32
Just bought seeds for these lynnyl Sunday #25
Keep us posted homegirl Sunday #29
I wish you great success! Mousetoescamper Sunday #33
Stunning radical noodle Sunday #26
Thanks, radical noodle! Mousetoescamper Sunday #34
I treasured one that I was able to grow in my Maine garden, looking for its curled stem to begin to elongate Bumbles Sunday #28
Congratulations on getting the blooms! As others here have confirmed, they're difficult to cultivate. Mousetoescamper Sunday #35
So beautiful! Hope22 Sunday #31
Thanks, Hope22! Mousetoescamper Sunday #36
Wow, my dear Mousetoescamper! Gorgeous, breathtaking, amazing, etc etc etc! CaliforniaPeggy Sunday #39
Thanks, Peggy! Mousetoescamper Sunday #42
So pretty. applegrove Sunday #40
Thanks, applegrove! Mousetoescamper Sunday #43
Now THERE is what we can call "love at first sight"! calimary Sunday #41
Indeed! Mousetoescamper Sunday #44
Beautiful photos, amazing blooms. I love Longwood Gardens. Walleye Sunday #46
Thanks, Walleye! Mousetoescamper Sunday #47
Beautiful! Thank you FemDemERA Sunday #49
Thanks and you're welcome, FemDemERA! Mousetoescamper Sunday #50
Thanks for bringing the beauty of the world to us. Looks similar to our hibiscus down here. 🌺 Deuxcents Sunday #51
Thanks and you're welcome, Deuxcents! Mousetoescamper Sunday #52

lark

(24,764 posts)
1. Gorgeous blue treasures! I bet they fed your soul!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 09:45 AM
Sunday

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

(5,967 posts)
13. Thanks, 2naSalit!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:21 AM
Sunday

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

(96,258 posts)
48. Thank you!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 04:22 PM
Sunday

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!

Mousetoescamper

(5,967 posts)
17. Thanks, MayReasonRule!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:30 AM
Sunday

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

(39,359 posts)
45. Those names sound like a couple of 18th century witches.
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 01:02 PM
Sunday


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.

Figarosmom

(4,990 posts)
37. Yeah the last time i tried i figured
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 12:05 PM
Sunday

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

Ilsa

(62,656 posts)
12. Before I saw the replies, "georgeous" was the
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:17 AM
Sunday

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

Easterncedar

(4,128 posts)
20. Gorgeous!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:35 AM
Sunday

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

Collimator

(1,882 posts)
27. If the opportunity presents, Chanticleer is also worth a visit.
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:51 AM
Sunday

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

(10,290 posts)
38. Chanticleer is a little gem!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 12:12 PM
Sunday

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!

Dark n Stormy Knight

(10,290 posts)
54. I'd been hearing how Chanticleer was an absolute must see
Wed Apr 2, 2025, 03:36 PM
31 min ago

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.

lynnyl

(6 posts)
25. Just bought seeds for these
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:45 AM
Sunday

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

homegirl

(1,684 posts)
29. Keep us posted
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:55 AM
Sunday

on progress and results.

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

Bumbles

(352 posts)
28. I treasured one that I was able to grow in my Maine garden, looking for its curled stem to begin to elongate
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 11:54 AM
Sunday

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

(5,967 posts)
35. Congratulations on getting the blooms! As others here have confirmed, they're difficult to cultivate.
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 12:03 PM
Sunday

CaliforniaPeggy

(153,331 posts)
39. Wow, my dear Mousetoescamper! Gorgeous, breathtaking, amazing, etc etc etc!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 12:14 PM
Sunday

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

(5,967 posts)
42. Thanks, Peggy!
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 12:30 PM
Sunday

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.

Deuxcents

(21,566 posts)
51. Thanks for bringing the beauty of the world to us. Looks similar to our hibiscus down here. 🌺
Sun Mar 30, 2025, 07:36 PM
Sunday

The blue is so unique..just lovely

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