Poppies

The poppy symbolises comfort and the remembrance of people who have died in conflicts.

There is more to the poppy than just being pretty. One species of poppy, the sleeping globe aka opium poppy, is used as an ingredient in painkillers like morphine and codeine. The sleeping bud is the green bulb that grows separately from the flower of the poppy. The pain-fighting power of the sleeping globe was discovered back in ancient times, but is still used in hospitals today as a painkiller.

Poppies in a bouquet is tricky. If you pick the rose, the petals fall off and the flower dies. Want a bouquet with poppies anyway? With these tips you can enjoy your bouquet for at least a week!

1. When picking the poppy, cut it off close to the root.

2. After picking the poppies, burn off the bottom of the stem a bit with a lighter or candle.

3. Put the poppies in a vase, the flowers should stay beautiful for at least a week.

Poppies have poisonous flowers, nevertheless you can cook with them. How? The seeds produced by the sleeping globe, or opium poppy, are edible. As are its petals and young leaves of the red poppy, but beware: you can only do this if there is no green sleeping bud yet.

Oil

The seeds of the poppy can be used to make culinary-grade, health-beneficial oil. The oil is great for cooking, using as salad dressing or to add some extra flavour to your bread or cake.

Salad

Surprise your friends and family with flowers in a delicious summer salad. Use the petals, fresh or dried, of the red poppy and make a delicious spicy salad. The young leaves can be prepared the same way as spinach: raw in the salad or cooked.

Infusion

The decoction of the petals of the poppy, obtained by pouring over warm water gives a calm and relaxed feeling and is therefore very suitable as an infusion before going to bed. The infusion can also be used as a skin care product. The concentrated infusion works against wrinkles and soothes swollen eyelids.