California poppies are beguiling wildflowers with teardrop buds opening to silky lustrous cups, closing in the evening and when cloudy weather reigns. They self sow readily and often find just the right spot to grow—along dry garden edges, rock gardens and gravelly spots where little else thrives. Best in areas where summer nights cool down, where they bloom long, elsewhere a spring to summer delight, especially when grown in large drifts. Deadhead or in moderate climates shear lightly midsummer and fertilize with flower fertilizer for a renewed flush of bloom in the fall, when the weather cools.