Poppies add a little pop to outdoors

With their bright, cheery, silky-textured flowers, poppies are a must-have for any sunny garden. They provide outstanding color for the late spring/early summer border and are brilliant accents in cut flower bouquets.

Oriental poppies are hardy perennials with large, showy flowers in gorgeous, rich, saturated colors in May and June. Black stamens contrast with the colorful flowers, creating a stunning effect. Long, strong stems hold the blooms well above the deeply cut, coarse-textured, fuzzy foliage.

Attractive seed capsules follow the flowers, extending the season of interest. For the most dramatic effect, plant these beauties in groups -- their flashy flowers will be seen from a distance. As an added bonus, Oriental poppies are unappetizing to foraging deer, rabbits or squirrels.

If you like, cut some of the flowers to use in bouquets as a focal point or an accent.Harvest them in the morning when the buds are just about ready to open.

Poppies contain a milky white sap, and the stems need to be sealed. Do this by dipping the stem ends in boiling water for about 20 seconds or by holding them over the flame of a match or candle. Condition the flowers by standing them in cold water for several hours before arranging.

Caring for these delicate-looking beauties is not difficult. Undemanding plants, Oriental poppies do not require deadheading, and they thrive in soils of poor fertility, as long as they have good drainage. Although they prefer full sun, they will tolerate some light shade.

The foliage goes dormant shortly after flowering, and can be clipped back as it starts to decline. Plan on planting annuals or late-emerging perennials such as baby's breath to fill in the gap as the poppies' foliage dies back.

Foliage will re-emerge in late summer and stay semi-evergreen through the winter. Leave it intact to provide a natural protective, insulating mulch.

Division is not needed often, maybe every five or six years, when the quality of the plants or flowers noticeably declines; this is best done after the foliage re-emerges in July or August.

Be aware that these plants develop a deep taproot and can be hard to transplant. You can, however, propagate them from a root section, and they may even come back up in their original location after you thought you had moved them. (This happened to me!)

Following are some varieties to consider:

Traditionalists will want to grow red poppies. Try Beauty of Livermore for its 4- to 6-inch, oxblood red flowers with contrasting black markings on 28- to 30-inch stems. Those looking for a shorter version may want to try Soho, a rich red with large, crinkled flowers, growing only 15 to 18 inches tall.

If you are more into pinks, plant Helen Elizabeth, a 24- to 36-inch coral pink or Karine, a soft blush pink with a maroon center. If you would like something really different, check out Patty's Plum. Its ruffled red-violet flowers are truly spectacular.

For a pure, satiny white, try Royal Wedding. Its black centers create a striking contrast that really makes it a standout.

Those looking for even more variety may want to check out some of the annual or biennial types of poppies.

Papaver rhoeas (Flanders poppy) is an annual poppy with downy, light gray-green foliage. The species has bright red flowers, sometimes marked with black at the petal base in summer. (It is the traditional Memorial Day poppy.)

Renee's Seeds offers a variety called Legion of Honor, with brilliant, crimson, 3- to 4-inch flowers on 1½- to 2-foot stems. Also try the sweetly fragrant Shirley Series with single, semidouble or double flowers in pink, yellow or orange shades. Grow from seed in well-drained soil and a sunny location.

California poppies are not true poppies (genus Papaver), but belong to the genus Eschscholzia. They are self-seeding annuals that are native to the California and Oregon coast. Their flowers are similar to Oriental poppies, but smaller, in yellow, orange and red shades, on delicate, 12- to 18-inch stems.

They bloom in late spring to early summer, lasting for about six weeks. The bluish green foliage is also delicate, and finely cut.

Pretty seedpods follow the flowers. Deadheading will prolong the blooms, but allow some of the plants to go to seed to perpetuate your planting. California poppies like similar conditions to Oriental poppies -- very good drainage and full sun. Plant them from seed where you want them to grow as early as possible in the spring. They are tolerant of frost and will bloom best if planted early.

Renee's Seeds offers some lovely California poppy mixes. Check out Tropical Sunset, a stunning mix of brilliant sunset colors. If your tastes run more towards pinks, try Dusky Rose, a wonderful soft pastel pink.

All of the annual poppy varieties look pretty naturalized in a meadowlike setting, or weaving between other garden annuals. If you start from seed, please note that poppy seeds are very small. Mix them with sand to get more even distribution when broadcasting.

Like their perennial cousins, annual poppies make good cut flowers if picked in the morning just as the buds begin to open. Again, seal stem ends with boiling water or over a flame, and condition in cold water before arranging.

• Maureen Safarik is a horticulturist at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield, IL 60190. Call 630-293-1040.