September 2014 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Jupiter]

Ooo that's lovely. Well captured Anthony. I used to hate gladdies (probably Barry Humfries' fault) but as I mature I like them more.

[Lesley Cox]

How strange. It's a common garden plant.

Yes, reasonably common down this way, usually as a double which I don't like in this case, but so many people have given up on them because if they're visible from the street or even if someone mentions you're growing them, you're likely to be visited by those idiots who want an illicit high. We had some in our first garden together and a car which ostensibly "broke down" outside our gate, disgorged it's 3 passengers to come and have a look round the nursery/ garden. I've never seen less likely-looking nursery visitors in my life. Next morning, every poppy plant had been uprooted and removed, even the orientals which would be useless for their purposes anyway. We never heard a thing in the night but they took my portable radio too, which lived in the potting shed. It had a tape in it which I couldn't replace, one I'd bought in Dublin.

[Robert]

Lesley,

Very sorry to here that you have such barbarians in your area. At our Sacramento garden we have to put up with such things too. A few years ago, I strolled to the front yard with a hot morning tea to find someone in the front yard with an arm load of our flowers ripped from the ground. When I was noticed, they jumped away like wild deer smashing more of the garden before jumping in their car and speeding away. We are not the only ones having to put up with such nonsense in our area. Most of our gardening goes on in the back yard now.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Hi Jamus,
I have plenty of  Danish flag seed from last season stored refrigerated also some seed of the blue and purple poppy that you showed a picture of, that one came up in my garden I can only guess the seed was dropped by a bird (lucky for me). If you like you can send me a pm with your address and I will get them off to you.
cheers John.