Icelandic poppy ‘Kelmscott’s Giants’ – Papaver nudicaule

A beautiful Icelandic poppy with large, silky flowers in a romantic mix of creamy white, soft yellow and warm orange shades. The delicate, almost papery petals and long stems make ‘Kelmscott’s Giants’ particularly beautiful in the cutting garden and as a cut flower.

Icelandic poppies thrive in cool weather. They are therefore ideal for growing early in the season and can also be sown in autumn for early flowering the following year.

Sowing & growing

Start indoors: sow 6–8 weeks before you want to plant out, in small individual cells. The seeds are very fine: sow them on the surface and cover them only very lightly. Gently pressing them down is sufficient.

Preferably water from below or mist carefully, so the fine seeds are not washed away.

Germination: approximately 7–12 days at 18–24°C.

Plant out the young plants once they are sufficiently developed and hardened off. Poppies do not like much disturbance to their roots, so handle the young plants carefully.

You can also sow directly outdoors in early spring or autumn.

Position: full sun to light partial shade
Soil: moisture-retentive but well-drained
Plant spacing: approx. 15–20 cm for cut flower production
Height: approx. 40–50 cm
Flowering: spring to summer, depending on the sowing time
Type: short-lived perennial, often grown as a biennial
Use: cut flower & border

As a cut flower

Harvest when the bud is just beginning to split open and the first colour is visible, but before the flower has fully opened.

The flowers have a vase life of approximately 5–7 days.

Do not pinch out: pinching out is not necessary for Icelandic poppies and can even be counterproductive.

My tip: be sure to try an autumn planting too. Icelandic poppies grow best in cooler temperatures and will then produce beautiful early flowers.