English Poppy ‘Shirley’ – Seeds of a Historic Poppy Variety in Different Colours
Papaver rhoeas ‘Shirley’
Airy, almost silky flowers in white, soft pink, salmon, apricot, rose and crimson shades – in a bed of ‘Shirley’ poppies, it is difficult to find two flowers that are exactly alike. Some are completely simple, others are fuller, with pale edges, gentle colour transitions or unexpected combinations of shades.
This is a poppy for people who enjoy a slightly more relaxed garden and the pleasure of seeing what grows from each tiny seed. ‘Shirley’ looks beautiful in country gardens, natural flower beds and meadow-style plantings, but it can also be grown in large pots and on a terrace.
A Story That Began with One Unusual Poppy
The story of ‘Shirley’ poppies began in the late 19th century in England, in the Shirley area near London. The English clergyman and enthusiastic gardener William Wilks noticed an unusual flower with a white edge among ordinary red field poppies.
He collected seeds from this poppy and, over the following years, continued growing its descendants, each time choosing plants with the most interesting flowers for seed. Over the years, this selection produced an ever greater diversity of colours. Alongside the red flowers appeared soft pink, almost white, salmon, apricot and other shades, including flowers with unusual colour transitions and pale edges.
In this way, from a single field poppy noticed by chance, the ‘Shirley’ poppies we know today developed over several generations.
Because of this origin, when growing ‘Shirley’ from seed, you should not expect all the flowers to look exactly the same. Their diversity is part of the special character of these poppies.
Try Becoming a Plant Breeder Yourself
With ‘Shirley’ poppies, you can not only create a beautiful flower bed but also try your hand at being a plant breeder.
If you particularly like the colour of one flower, let that particular poppy develop seed pods and allow them to ripen fully. You can collect its seeds separately and sow them again the following year, then once again choose the plants you find most beautiful.
You can experiment in this way for several generations – selecting, for example, the softest powder-pink, almost white, apricot or deeper rose-coloured flowers and gradually creating your own favourite colour selection.
Of course, nature takes part in this game together with the gardener. Poppies cross-pollinate, so seeds you collect will not always produce an exact copy of the parent plant. Completely new colour combinations may also appear. That is exactly why collecting seeds and selecting plants again and again can become an interesting experiment lasting several years.
A Light, Beautiful and Airy Flower for a Natural Garden
‘Shirley’ is an annual form of the field poppy. The plants usually reach about 50–80 cm in height and produce light, delicate flowers on slender stems. Depending on the individual plant, the flowers may be single or fuller.
They look best in small groups, where the different colours mingle with one another. In the wind, the delicate flowers move and create a light, natural effect that is very different from a formally arranged flower bed.
Sow Them Where the Poppies Will Grow
‘Shirley’ is best sown directly where it is intended to grow. Poppies develop a taproot, so they do not like being transplanted.
The seeds are very fine. Scatter them over the surface of prepared soil, press them down lightly and do not cover them with a thick layer of soil. During germination, it is important not to let the surface of the soil dry out completely.
Once the seedlings have emerged and grown a little, thin out any areas that are too crowded. When the plants have enough space, they develop stronger stems and more flowers.
Poppies grow best in a sunny position and loose, well-drained soil. They do not need very rich or heavily fertilised soil.
‘Shirley’ Poppies Like Cool Weather
‘Shirley’ can be sown both in autumn and in early spring. Seeds sown in autumn overwinter in the soil and begin growing in spring as soon as conditions become suitable. These plants often flower earlier.
In spring, you can sow very early, as soon as the soil can be prepared. There is no need to wait for warm weather – poppies like cool growing conditions in spring and also in autumn.
They do particularly well in moderate, cooler weather, and the flowers do not fade as quickly as they do in intense heat. This makes these poppies especially well suited to gardens in Northern Europe and other regions where summers tend to be moderate and cool.
In hot, dry weather, flowering may be shorter, so in Southern Europe early sowing is especially useful, allowing the plants to make the most of the cooler spring and early-summer period.
A Small Trick for Longer Flowering
A single ‘Shirley’ plant will not flower all summer, but you can create a poppy bed where one group of plants takes over from the next.
Some of the seeds can be sown in autumn, another part in early spring, followed by several later sowings at intervals of approximately 2–3 weeks.
While the first poppies are already flowering, those sown later will only be preparing to bloom. In this way, the flowering period can be extended considerably.
Removing faded flowers can also prolong flowering. However, if you want to collect seeds or allow the poppies to self-seed, some seed pods should be left to ripen fully.
Let Them Return Next Year
Although ‘Shirley’ is an annual, in a suitable place it can become a flower that appears in the garden again and again.
If the seed pods are allowed to ripen, the seeds fall onto the ground and may germinate on their own the following spring. Some seeds can remain in the soil for longer and wait until suitable conditions appear.
For this reason, an area where poppies have previously grown should not be dug over or weeded too thoroughly in spring. Among what may look like weeds, there could also be the next generation of poppies.
A thick layer of mulch is also unsuitable for self-seeding. These tiny seeds do much better on an open or lightly loosened soil surface.
Self-seeded poppies can also change over time. One summer, pale pink flowers may dominate; another year, more white, apricot or brighter shades may appear. If you enjoy this diversity, you can simply let the poppies live their own life. If you would like to develop a particular colour direction, seeds from the most beautiful plants can be collected and sown separately.
Growing ‘Shirley’ Poppies in Pots
‘Shirley’ is not only for flower beds. It can also be grown in large pots and deeper terrace containers.
It is best to choose a container at least approximately 25–30 cm deep with good drainage holes. Sow the seeds directly into the pot where the poppies will grow, so their roots do not need to be disturbed later.
With pot-grown poppies, moisture needs particular attention. Soil in containers dries out much faster in summer than soil in the garden, but poppies do not like permanently wet compost either.
A large terracotta pot filled with ‘Shirley’ poppies in different colours can become a beautiful feature on a terrace or in a courtyard.
What Not to Do with ‘Shirley’ Poppies
The most common mistake is sowing the seeds too deeply. They are very fine, so they need to remain right at the soil surface.
You should also avoid growing poppies like ordinary bedding plants and transplanting them later. It is much safer to sow them directly in their permanent position.
Sowing too densely produces weak, stretched plants. Excessive fertilising, especially with nitrogen, can produce plenty of green growth but fewer flowers.
Poppies will not do well in heavy, constantly wet soil or in a very shady position. They much prefer sun, air and soil where excess water does not collect.
If you want the poppies to self-seed, another mistake is to remove every seed pod after flowering. Leave some of them and allow the seeds to ripen fully.
A Garden That Does Not Have to Be Perfect
‘Shirley’ is not a flower that needs constant care. Sometimes the best thing you can do is sow it in a suitable place and then leave it alone.
By allowing some of the seeds to ripen and fall, over the years you can create your own small, beautiful poppy meadow in one corner of the garden. But by selecting and saving seeds from the flowers you love most, you can also turn this element of chance into a fascinating experiment.
Perhaps after a few years, your garden will already have its very own selection of ‘Shirley’ colours.
Seeds per packet: 10
Author: Heart Garden Studio
