In spring, the California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) swamp the front of my garden, and after a few weeks of exulting in their glory I have to pull them all out and uncover the irises, salvia and other plants that I want to see. A few more weeks, and the poppies have sprouted new leaves and sometimes blooms as well. Here’s an example at left, from just now.

The classic orange color is dominant, so orange flowers keep appearing, and I remove them as much as possible, so that my favorite pale yellow ones can shine.

But this week in the back yard, far from any other poppies, close by the bulbine, I saw a new red one blooming on a little plant. I think I may have scattered seeds for red California poppies here last fall, and forgot about it. This one flower is encouraging me to do that again.