1914-2014

Daft question, but can't we use poppy seeds meant for cooking?

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/sain...ts_and_seeds/sainsburys_poppy_seeds_100g.html

I don't know what variety they are, but if we can find out and they are the right ones, I imagine it would be infinitely cheaper than getting 'proper' ones.

Unless maybe they are treated in some way to prevent them from germinating, but I know you can grow supermarket dried peas so maybe these too?

EDIT: It looks like not. A bit of reading suggests that the ones you get in the supermarkets are the wrong type, plus a few articles I've read suggest a poor germination rate from them.

 

Ok .. The choice where you buy seeds from is entirely yours, but for information purposes only. Thompson and Morgan will donate 10p from every packet of Flanders Poppy seeds sold to the British Legion

Every penny helps .......

 

Pretty sure they are Opium Poppies, just sown a handful to find out.

 

Hi nfrost
Think there is a major opportunity for all garden centres and nurserys to get involved aswell ... They could sell a number of different varieties of poppy as plant of the month ? Maybe give a percentage of a fixed donation to the British legion per plant sold ...could turn in to a national campaign ............. Raise the profile and raise some serious money aswell ...this with our project would be amazing

 

Agreed, we could use them to get the poppies spread around the country, ease our workload, and get charitable donations to the BL.

Win, win, win.

 

Forgive me, I'm just trying to understand this, but am I right in thinking that we have gone from trying to source seeds cheap through either donations, negotiated deals, or by collecting and sharing seeds from our own plants, to generating a marking campaign for seed suppliers?

Of course I have no problem with that, but I'm just trying to understand the plan so I can work out if it is something I personally would like to be involved in.

 

Think the ones sold in garden centres would be pot grown varieties unlike the wild seed used in the hedgerows verges etc

These "wild "seeds wouldn't grow correctly as a pot plant unfortunately , but this does give the garden centres a chance to sell a wide variety of poppies under our idea umbrella as long as the legion benefitted ....

 

Why? I have poppies in my garden that self seed every year.

 

Just brainstorming I guess. What is our ultimate goal?

 

Wild poppies don't like to live in disturbed ground.

And no . We gardeners have a major part to play ... Whether we collect seed / swap seed .. Buy it collectively ... Buy one packet each from local garden centre ..... I don't think it matters how we do it as long as we do it........
Two chances to make this work ..... Autumn sowing and spring sowing .... In our gardens and on land that we have gained permission from the owners..........
The idea about garden centres is linked but separate ...... It means that every single person who has a garden. Can become involved ...... Sowing seeds or buying plants

 

No objection from me

 

Eh?

Yes they do, they are one of the first colonisers of disturbed ground. Be it an avalanche, ploughed field or World War one Battlefield???????????????????

 

Take a look at this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/b/ref=amb_l...f_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=409779827&pf_rd_i=11052671

 

1 twelth of the price of the same product from T&M too

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-seeds/poppy-seeds/papaver-rhoeas-flanders/6553TM (times 5 packs to get to the 10,000 seeds in the Amazon ones).

We could buy the the cheaper ones from Amazon, give the British Legion a quid or two directly, and then we win with cheaper seeds, and they win with more donations