An Ice Cube Poppy Update 🧊

The weirdest thing - the ice cube poppies didn't sprout. There could be a few reasons for this, but it's probably the most obvious reason which is that the Internet is a big fat liar.

It really-really seemed like something that should work. Make a poppy ice cube, stomp it into the dirt, grow poppies.( Get yourself up to speed by reading this ice cube poppy planting post. )

I honestly don't know if the poppies I planted in the front yard just haven't germinated because of weather conditions, or because they're poppies and poppies are combative.

The seeds could have sprouted and then dried out from lack of rain or maybe it hasn't been quite warm enough. Either way I don't have any poppies.

Not quite willing to give up, I took the rest of the poppy ice cubes I had in the freezer (I didn't plant them all) and planted them in pots.

I did it last night just before mixing myself a Diet Coke on ice and just after noticing the ice cubes were covered in freezer lice.

Turned out they were poppy seeds.

You can see a little portion of one of the planters I potted up last fall. That particular one is rammed full of daffodils. If you didn't do it last year, I am already pushing you to do it this fall. They haven't bloomed yet but I'm pretty sure they're going to be spectacular.

Speaking of the opposite of spectacular, the patch of soil where I planted the original poppy ice cubes is now covered in seedlings, they just aren't poppy seedlings. They're alyssum seedlings. Thousands of them. And yet. I planted an entire flat of alyssum - the world's most reliable self seeder.

I really did. You can see part of it just underneath the ice cube tray in the photo above.

Did I plant the filler greens for flower arranging I always say I'm going to? Don't be ridiculous. No.

I didn't have room because I was busy growing something I already have thousands of. This is known as:

Gardeners' Auto-Seedling Propagation Syndrome

(commonly known as G.A.S.P.)

Definition:

A horticultural syndrome characterized by excessive sowing of species already represented in surplus, often to the detriment of garden.

Symptoms:

• Sudden, overwhelming affection for seedlings already carpeting the garden.
• Complete amnesia regarding original planting intentions.
• Rationalizations such as “these ones are different” despite identical DNA.
• Temporary blindness to spatial limitations.

Treatment:
None. And it's progressive.

I'll keep you updated on the poppy plantings as the Spring season marches on.