Carrie- does the packet happen to have the species name on it? It depends on which kind it is and where you are. Here in the raleigh area, poppies bloom starting in late april through late may. Unless we have exceptionally cool weather i don't think you're going to get reliable blooms for mid-june here. That said, if you're a good bit further toward the mountains (and 7A says it's colder than here which is 8a/7b), then you might just squeak some blooms out if they are shirlies- p. rhoes-, or p. somniferums, aka bread box or opium poppies. My guess is that 'giant peonies' are somniferums, but there are rhoes cultivars that are double and called peony, too. They aren't nearly as large as the somniferums when they bloom, but just as pretty. If it's either of them, i'd sow the rest of your packet in just a week or 2- don't wait any longer or they won't get big enough (like you've already observed in the past). They need light to germinate, so sow them directly on the surface and just tamp them down or walk on them. I wouldn't worry about hardiness- poppies like cold to germinate. Another flower that would be a more reliable bloomer for that time of year would be daylilies if you can find a friend who has some they'd let you use. Another nice plant for bridal bouquets (if a bit wild) is queen anne's lace. It does wilt fairly fast so you have to plan to pick and use it the same day. You can find it in fields or along the road. Not sure of your colors, but as you mentioned, larkspur are nice and easy, as are nigella and bachelor's buttons. They all bloom about the same time as the poppies but keep going a bit longer. also, poppies and nigella have nice seed pods you might consider using. Good luck!

I got the seeds Heather! Thak you so much! Sorry it has taken so long for me to get back to you! I thought I had sent you an email when they arrived. I'm planning the winter sowing and early starts for next year's garden already. Will start winter sowing soon!

Paula, Thank you for the offer but I don't collect gobs and gobs of seeds. I just collect a few seed heads of things I think others might like to grow and a few for myself for the next year if they are annuals. I shouldn't say this here on the garden web but I toss most seeds in the trash as I am cleaning up my gardens ( take a deep breathe, stop gasping...lol). I think this year I will collect more than usual because I feel like a cheap skate when I see some of the other seed packets in swaps...lol I have added the petunias to your gift package and again, thank you for the offer. I will pass this time though. Lisa

New-to-me this year: Winners: * Curry plant. Found in the herb section of the garden center. Terrific silvery needle-like foliage, a perfect foil for the rich color of "Black Pearl" ornamental pepper (always a winner!) * "Crackerjack" marigolds. Wanted a tall marigold for the vegetable garden for the purported bug-repelling capabilities, and I was really impressed with these. Once they took off, they really took off and turned into bushy bloomin' machines. This came in a mix, but most of the flowers were golden yellow, which I liked. I also grew some shorter marigolds - I think they were Inca but I'm not sure. They were also nice and bloomed like crazy. Vegetable garden plants here again. * Salvia "Cathedral". My go-to spiked salvia is "Mystic Spires", which never fails to disappoint, but I did pick up a replacement six-pack of "Cathedral" in the spring for some reason - can't remember if I balked at the price of M.S. or the nursery was out of them. This was because the dog trampled my planting of MS.... Anyway, they bloomed their heads off and looked terrific all summer, bees were all over them, which is always a good thing. I still prefer MS - the foliage has the advantage, but this is a good substitute should I need one. * Calendula "Costa Mix". Gorgeous calendula mix, grew and flowered beautifully. The only thing about calendula is they poop out when the hot weather sets in - treat them like pansies in that respect. I never got around to sowing more for fall plant-out, I'll have to try to do that next year. What's great is they come into their own when a lot of other annuals are just getting started. Will definitely grow for spring-early summer bloom next year. Losers: * Magellan zinnia "Scarlet". The flower color isn't a rich blue-based red, it's a bright orange-red. Not my color. Glad I planted a patch in the veggie garden as a test where I didn't pay them much mind or I would have ripped them out as soon as they bloomed. Kudos for sheer volume of bloom, though. On the fence: * "Empress of India" nasturtium. I couldn't even see the flowers for all the foliage. Which is fine because I loved the blue-green foliage. Not sure I'd grow again because the point of annuals up here in my zone is flower power - but if I need that particular foliage effect in the future, this would fit the bill nicely.