Those big poppies again

Woodpeckers told me to go out and Blip, and the poppies in particular. I transplanted a couple of small plants from the front gate of my parents last home soon after we moved into this house. I thought they would thrive here as the soil and aspect were quite similar and my parents' poppies were very happy.

The first flower, on the left, opened yesterday and the second has followed suit. I had to remove one of the green hairy protective surrounds, (I don't know the technical name), which had fallen inside the cup of the petals. I love the floppy nature of the petals contrasted with the hard interior of the seed case that will survive on long after the flowers have fallen away. This flower is at least six inches across!

I wanted to blip early as I have lots to do before the council's finance committee meeting tonight, for which I want to be well prepared. But this meant the sun was shining very brightly, and beautifully, from a cloudless sky and I had a hard time finding a good shot. As you can see I didn't really manage it, so this will have to do. We now have a couple of weeks of poppies adorning the front garden by the path, welcoming visitors and forming quite a landmark in the street.