Scarlet Peony Poppy

These extraordinary 2- to 3-foot tall plants burst with densely ruffled and exquisitely fringed scarlet red blooms that are 5 inches in diameter. These are a showstopper in the late June or early July flower garden.

Though each bloom is short-lived, as is the case with all poppies, one sowing usually provides plants that bloom over the course of 7-10 days. (For a longer season, make several sowings at weekly intervals.) Poppies don't make great cut flowers, but with a variety this showy it's hard not to pluck a few for the vase; if picked early in the morning, they will generally hold up for 24 hours before shedding their petals.