No. 7 -- Meconopsis (Blue Poppy)

For many years these were No. 1 on our hit parade but as the "mystique" has evaporated and everyone has learned they really aren't that hard to grow, they've come down a notch or two. Neverless, there is nothing that can compare to a clump of this magnificent beauty. It's pretty common these days with a mature plant to have 50 blooms. Sorry, Dorothy, you can't grow these in Kansas or anywhere else that gets above 80 F in summers. Pictured are blue poppies in mixed a border with Mertensia and Lilium. Photo courtesy Brenda's Gardens by Design.