In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields
The poem above, "In Flanders Fields" was written by Canadian Physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died in the second battle of Ypres. The Flanders poppy grew in the most ravaged battle fields of the First World War in stark contrast to the devastation that surrounded them.
The beautiful red blooms have become a symbol of remembrance for those who have died in the service of their country and in our garden here in zone 7b we typically have blooms by Memorial Day.
Origin: We collected the parent seed of our Flanders poppies in France. On a trip to visit Mama's sister and her family in Meximieux, a suburb of Lyon, we saved seeds that were growing at the edge of a wheat field.
(Approximately 200 seeds per packet)
Planting Instructions: In most climates, except the coldest zones, seeds are best sown onto prepared soil by scattering in the fall after the first frost. They can also be sown in the same way in late winter about 4 weeks before the last frost. Sow in full sun.
