Papaver 'Princess Victoria Louise'

Papaver 'Princess Victoria Louise': Satiny Salmon Pink With Cottage Manners

Salmon-pink petals with dark blotches at the base, the exact shade of a very fancy brunch. This poppy shows up in late spring like it has a standing reservation. TABLE FOR ONE, BY THE WINDOW.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Papaver orientale 'Prinzessin Victoria Louise' (sold in English as 'Princess Victoria Louise')
• Common Name: Oriental Poppy
• Height: 75–90 cm (2.5–3 ft)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (1.5–2 ft)
• Flowers: Large, single, bowl-shaped, salmon-pink, with a dark blotch at the base of each petal and a dark purple centre
• Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to June)
• Foliage: Coarse, hairy, toothed green leaves that die back in summer
• Features: Good cut flower, tolerates sandy or clay soil if well drained

Where to Plant: It's softer than the red and orange poppies, so it suits pastel borders, cottage gardens and cut-flower beds. Give it well-drained sandy or clay soil, and plan for neighbours that fill in after it goes dormant.

Companion Plants: Give salmon 'Princess Victoria Louise' a sunny, dry bed with lemon, lavender and yellow to follow its June show. Oenothera macrocarpa sprawls at the front at 15 to 30 cm with big lemon-yellow cups in June and July. Achillea 'Moonshine' adds lemon-yellow heads at 45 to 60 cm from June to September. Lavandula 'Grosso' brings fragrant violet spikes at 60 to 75 cm from July to September. Panicum Prairie Winds® 'Totem Pole' rises behind at 180 cm on stiff, powdery blue stems.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil. It handles sand or clay, as long as water doesn't sit around the crown in winter. Water through the first season, then only in long dry spells. Cut flower stems to the base after blooming, or leave some for seed pods. The foliage dies back by late summer. That's normal, and new leaves come up in fall. Like all oriental poppies, it has a deep taproot and dislikes moving. Divide in August or September, while it's dormant.

History: Oriental poppies are native to the Caucasus, northeastern Turkey and northern Iran. 'Prinzessin Victoria Louise' is an older variety still widely grown in Europe and North America, and its name appears to honour Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia, though the breeder and year are unconfirmed.

Final Thoughts: Sandy soil, clay soil, deer at the gate? Not a problem if the drainage is good. TREAT IT LIKE ROYALTY AND IT RETURNS THE FAVOUR.