Gifts from the bees maybe?

Did you weed out any late seedlings? They might have been the ones you wanted. I've noticed that different coloured poppies germinate at different times through winter. First to come up are bright red / then cerise /lavender /purple / black. Double flowers come up the same time as singles of the same colour.

I dont know what causes poppies to revert to singles, but it could be cross-pollination between the colours. I isolate some colours and rarely get single flowers or different colours in those spots.
You'll probably get the flowers you're after next year if you dig the bed over. They seem to like disturbed soil. Yank out any singles if you dont want them.

thanks poppyflop
found out the problem. Got these seeds in a trade (supposed to be doubles). Heaps of singles are coming up in another area where I scattered the seeds. I had some left over so just chucked the remainder in the bed doubles bed and of course they are the one's that have taken over. Am pulling them out as fast as they flower.

Good-O. My purple single poppies are flowering at the moment and they're like sound shells with all the bees roaring away inside them. Fascinating to observe, sometimes I get native bees visiting for the pollen.

The singles are more attractive I reckon. Doubles look all frilly like old lady lace.

Oh! No Jamus S why did you mention 'old lady' bit. There are some evil Queenslanders out there that would agree completely. Only using me as the old lady example :o)

I find that the doubles hold on longer and like Poppyflop love watching the bee influx.

Earlier in the week some of my 'trade' flowered out as wee little, mini single blooms. No bigger than my hand in height and an unusual pale strawberry shade.

I'll let them self seed and see if they are bigger next year as they are a very pretty shade. Hopefully the bees won't find them amidst all the others and cross the pollens.

I find the tall single reds very strident. The tall pale pinks with black blodges are rather boring. Then again would probably look better in a large clump, rather than scattered throughout the garden.
cheers Mrs B