<p>(Family: Papaveraceae). They have finely divided ferny foliage, light to blue-green in colour, and very attractive. This variety has incredibly delicate ruffles of clear pastels, some with paler centres. The colours range from soft orange, red, pink to white and gold. Blooms profusely on 50cm (20in) plants.</p><p>Direct seed where they are to flower in mid-April through mid-May. Lightly cover the seeds. Germinates at 15C in 10 days and flowers 16 weeks later. Space the plants 6in apart. It likes full sun, and does best in poor, well-drained soil.</p><p>Eschscholzia commemorates a nineteenth century naturalist, Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz. There are stories about sailors in the 16th century journeying along the coast of California looked upon the hillsides awash with a golden hue and named the country 'Tierra del Fuego'. Seeing the glowing shores they would shout 'Gold, gold!' and believe that they had found the land of El Dorado. All they had seen were the blooms of the California poppy. It is native to Western North America.</p>
