What have you found to plant either companionably with oriental poppies, or perhaps something to pop in the ground after they are done? Last year, I let mine ripen their seed pods, which made for a pretty messy look. This year, I cut them all back to about 6" and now have some serious empty holes. Looking for ideas.

I have mine planted near roses and salvia greggi so they hide the empty spots. But as for waiting for the poppy seed heads to dry, it is an ugly sight for quite a while. If I remember to mark the varieties, I probably would need to leave only one plant since there are so many seeds.

What do you think about some Tall Phlox or Redbeckia or False sunflower 'Loraine Sunshine'? They are just starting to flower for me well after the poppies bloom.

I have some annuals that usually come up a bit late the last few years it has been balsam, but before that it was cleome.
Early annuals like bachelors buttons or larkspur don't work well because they are too early.

My soil is heavy so I've had more success with them oddly in root competition with shrubs, as the soil never gets too wet there. My best one is in front of a deciduous Magnolia, and weeping Japanese Maple and a Weigela! It's on the west side so still gets plenty of sun. It is near daylilies, Alstroemeria, Nemesia, hyacinths and Lychnis coronaria.

If you find yourself with an empty space or hole why not a visit to a local nursery and you can pick out a perennial that is blooming right then and plant it. So you know it will bloom about the same time next year.


Vanessa, you got that right!