It just feels very strange to see blue petals instead of bright orange or red bursting from this Poppy bud : ) This is a beautiful Himalayan Blue Poppy, seen at the Reader Rock Garden on 25 June 2014. It is always a joy to see these beautiful, large Poppies, though they seem to grow in the shade, and I never find them easy to photograph. At least this bud was out in the sunshine. Apparently, they are not easy to grow, either.

"Blue Himalayan Poppies are one of the most impressive plants for the shade garden. Plants form a rosette of hairy leaves, bearing large satiny flowers in an amazing shade of true blue. These are not always easy to please, demanding an evenly moist, rich soil and cool woodland conditions. Plants are not long lived, typically flowering in the second or third year, setting seed, then dying out. Gardeners in hot summer climates seldom succeed with these plants, yet they are surprisingly tolerant of cold winter conditions."

www.perennials.com/plants/meconopsis-betonicifolia.html