Country diary: A scarlet shimmer of poppies, irresistible to bees | Paul Evans

The Marches, Shropshire: On a bright day after a thundery night, the bees are sometimes three or four to every flowerScarlet flags unfurl and bees dance in revolutionary fervour. The flags are petals of an oriental poppy, Papaver orientale, in the Goliath group of species that may be called "Brilliant" or "Prince of Orange". Depending on the intensity of light, it can flash through fiery red and sunset orange at the same time.The oriental species comes from the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey, and has appeared in gardens for centuries. These flowers are an explosion - dangerous, erotic, visionary. Oriental Poppies, painted by Georgia O'Keeffe in 1928, was groundbreaking, not just for its intense colour but for the textures of the flowers and their sense of movement. Maybe it also speaks of opium and sex magic, but it is a mesmerising image. Continue reading...