Some time ago I wrote about how I have been collecting seeds and bulbs from my grandfather's gardens, and how I am using my gardens to keep alive family memories. Pictured on your left are another group of family horticultural history; these are red poppies that I grew from seeds harvested from dried poppy pods at my grandfather's house.I was unsure if the collection method I used would work, but the poppies sprouted quickly and seem to be thriving in the corner of my lot in which I planted them. This is an area with heavy dog traffic, so I sowed the seeds about a foot away from the fence and allowed the plodding dogs to perform my plant-thinning for me.
These will be another annual reminder of my grandfather, a man who has been an important part of my entire life, and they are a lot more rewarding as a gift than, say, designer ties.
