Meet the neighbours · flower
Poppy (Seed)
A brilliant self-seeding annual with deep roots and tiny seeds that travel from garden to kitchen.
Poppy is a self-seeding annual with brilliant red flowers, grown for its edible seeds — the same poppy seed used in Ukrainian baking. Cindy's own poppies trace back to a single volunteer plant she found in her first garden decades ago.
How to grow it
- Wants full sun and does not need good soil.
- Has a deep taproot that does not transplant well — just broadcast seed in fall and let it grow where it lands.
- Blooms sporadically from July through August.
How to use & eat it
- Seeds are edible once fully ripened (grey to black).
- Use in muffins, breads, cakes, and salad dressings.
- Poppy Seed Dressing: whisk 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp sugar (dissolved), 1 tbsp liquid honey, and 1 tbsp poppy seed together. Refrigerate until ready to use.