How to achieve the look

Even though the flowers of Papaver commutatum last only a few days at most, they are produced in such profusion that these poppies earn their keep for more than six weeks. I sow them in the autumn and hold them as rosettes in a cold frame. The key is not to let them get too wet during the winter. I plant them out in late March, spacing them every 20cm in a loam-based compost with added coarse grit to encourage good drainage. When planting I take extra care because the seedlings are quite fragile and can snap clean off at soil level if not handled gently enough. But once established, all they really need is regular watering and some support by way of a few small pea sticks. The box, one of several similar-sized troughs, has been hewn out of rough, sawn oak and then joined with wooden pegs. They are basically rustic window boxes with two feet on the base that hold the body off the ground. They are lined with a zinc planting box, which separates the wet compost from the oak, helping to stop it from rotting. In the past we have used them atop a wall, but I have positioned this one on a gravel path next to a flower bed. Plant 1 Papaver commutatum A hardy annual poppy that can self-sow. June – August. 40cm. AGM. RHS H5.