Mugshots

Each morning I walk about the garden taking photos of the poppies. Nothing artistic. I call them mugshots. There is so much variation in the flowers- in the colours and shapes of the petals, the sepal, the anthers, and even the pollen comes in different colours. I like to keep a record from year to year. Apart from the reds, and they vary widely, I rarely see the same combination of features repeating. This is a selection of this morning's collection.

They vary in size too, though you can't see that here because I have scaled them to a similar size. The richer the soil the bigger the flower. Some growing in harsh places, like the rockery path or between the bricks on the back doorstep, are miniatures little more than an inch across. The ones growing in the compost rich soil of the vegetable garden are the biggest. The size of the flowers in the vegetable garden is a good indicator of the state of the soil. I notice that among the poppies growing under the bean fence (the beans are still in pots in the greenhouse) there is a patch of small ones. It's clear now why the beans did not do so well there last season. It will need extra attention when I remove the poppies and prepare for the beans.

Best in large to see each poppy.