Mr Fothergill's Poppy Iceland Mix Seeds, First year flowering, perennial poppies. Remove dead flowers to prolong flowering season. For cut flowers, pick as the heads begin to open and dip the cut ends into freshly boiled water and place in a vase of cold water.

Sow indoors to flower the same year, 0.5cm deep, in a tray of compost. A temperature of 15-20°C. is ideal. Keep moist. Seedlings usually appear in 14-21 days. Transplant seedlings 5cm apart to other trays when large enough to handle. Gradually accustom young plants to outside conditions before planting out 20cm apart, when frosts are over. Or sow outdoors to flower the following year, in a seed bed, 0.5cm deep, into finely prepared soil which has already been watered. Thin seedlings to 5cm apart before planting out to flowering positions in autumn, spacing 20cm apart. Remove dead flowers to prolong flowering season.

• A hardy perennial, flowers first year from an early sowing
• Superb in cottage gardens and informal settings
• Beautiful, vibrant blooms, great on the patio in pots

Sow time: Feb-Jul
Flowering/Harvesting time: Jun-Oct