If you're looking for a tall, flashy perennial, then Oriental poppies might just be the ticket. Striking in bloom, the flowers appear to float on top of their long stems, which can grow up to three feet tall. The flowers last only about a week or two and can easily be identified by delicate petals which look like crepe paper. Inside, you'll find a blackish-purple center.
Spring is the best time to plant them. They're not real picky about soil, but it must be well drained--otherwise, the crown will rot. Find a sunny location. Dig a hole that's as deep as the container. Simply remove the plant from the pot, then gently tease the roots. Then place it in the hole and backfill.
Keep your poppy well watered, and don't worry about fertilizing--it will do just fine. Once it's done blooming--here comes the hard part--it dies back, and it's not very pretty. So it's very important that you plant the poppy where there will be attractive summer bloomers like Asiatic lilies and campanula to fill in the gaps.
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