Poppies Everywhere

Southland Times, Issue 21657, 19 March 1932, Page 18

Poppies Everywhere

“We are also very well bedecked with poppies. Those poppies are a source of wonder both to mother and myself. Last year we had a few in one corner which proved to be a drab purple shade—really nothing to catch one’s eye on entering the gate. I saved two heads of seeds and this past spring just sowed them in a square patch. They came up wonderfully and began to choke each other, so we decided to transplant some. We did two borders one about 14 feet long, and the other about Bft. Besides these we discovered poppies growing of their own sweet will in several odd places. For some time we thought the transplanting was doomed to failure, as they withered a great deal. They decided in the end, however, it was better to live, with the result that if you were to come in our gate to-day you would see literally dozens of gaily-coloured poppies. Deep red, cerise, flame, white, white edged with pink, red edged with white, double ones, and the one I like best, a white base with petals of red. I have never seen such a show of poppies before. I have loved the last few days of morning mists, when to go outside, I see the new blooms, crinkly, half-opened and bathed with misty dew. I think poppies are at their best then.” —Cousin Kahikatea.