THIS has been a poppy summer.
Not the voluptuous oriental poppy you understand, but our own native of the cornfields.
It is an annual that springs up on disturbed earth to paint cornfields red and in my garden it forms a broad ribbon in red and much subtler colours, pinks and whites that are dotted here and there to give the effect of an impressionist painting.
This is Papavar rhoeas which has always thrown up sports in different colours.
In our Victorian past these were collected and propagated and have come down to us in the form of Cedric Morris and Shirley poppies.
The famous Suffolk philosopher, plantsman and painter, Sir Cedric Morris, favoured pastel shades as did the Rev William Wilks, who gave us Shirley poppies, named after his parish.
In the year 1880 the good reverend happened upon a field poppy that had hopped over the hedge which separated the vicarage garden from the surrounding cornfields.
It had a white edge to its petals and from that moment on the Shirley poppy was born.
Over the years the Rev Wilks sought out and hybridised poppies in every shade but unlike the field poppy they all possessed a golden centre and they are with us to this day.
P. rhoeas 'Angels Choir', developed by Thompson & Morgan are unmatched for subtlety.
Among the pastels there is a pale grey, how unappealing that sounds but how glorious it looks.
I can think of no description that would do it justice so I will not try but you must see it for yourself and be astounded.
Its beauty has something to do with the thinness of the petal and the lightness of the colour but you really must see it for yourself.
Thompson & Morgan have another poppy up their joint sleeves, this one was developed using a species introduced by William Thompson himself in 1876.
He brought Papavar communis back with him from Russia and this, the Caucasus poppy, has been developed by the seed company into the charming P. communis 'Ladybird' whose petals are dabbed with large black spots just like the spots on a ladybird's wing.
It is pictured here with the sea holly whose steel blue flowers make the poppy shine.
I have them around an acer that is turning a rich orange and against which the poppies look all the richer for they are a slightly deeper shade of red than our own wilding.
They will grow in the open or in light shade, which is a bonus and will grow in most soils.
It is worth noting that you can stagger the sowing of your poppy seeds from early spring to early summer and in this way they will flower for you from early summer through to the autumn.
Visit Maesfron Hall Gardens, Trewern, Welshpool, will be opening under the NGS on September 12 between 2-5pm. Admission £4, children free.
Four acres of south facing gardens with terraces, walled kitchen garden, tropical garden, restored Victorian conservatories, tower and shell grotto.
Woodland and parkland walks take in a panoramic view of Long Mountain. Tel: (01938) 570600 for more details.