Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Red Poppies

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In my neck of the woods, there are fields upon little fields of poppies. Not California golden poppies, but red poppies.

Poppies are spontaneous. Their colorful petals spread out like a picnic blanket over the fields. One can guess but never be certain where poppies will appear.

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This year I saw my first red poppy on February 27th. I like to take note of things like that. In Provence there is a saying that says, that the first time you see or do something, in the season of the new year, you are to make a wish. First poppy, first strawberry, first homegrown tomato…..

Do you make your wishes on the first star at night?

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Poppies in Provence, are one of the first splashes of spring color. Later will come the organized colors, purple lavender, and yellow sunflowers.

If you are lucky, you might see all three against the Provencal blue sky.

That is when you know you are in OZ.

photos: The red poppies of Provence.

Comments

50 responses to “Red Poppies”

  1. Britt-Arnhild

    We don’t have these poppies up north where I live. I learned to know them in Denmark where my parents used to take me on vacation when I was a kid. Later I learned to know Monet’s paintings.
    You saw the first one on Marta’s birthday. A good sign.
    Wild white anemones are my first northern spring sign…..we picked the first at cabin during Easter. And yes, I always make wishes 🙂

    Reply
  2. Di Overton

    Oh Corey my all time favourites – poppies in the field. These images are beautiful. Thanks so much.

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  3. ParisBreakfasts

    So much color!
    And so early!
    In my family we had to say a prayer at the first Spring flower, the first peach…
    I ALWAYS wish on stars, first or last star.
    And I ALWAYS read my horoscope too in the METRO 🙂

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  4. meredith

    You know I love this!

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  5. Jeanne

    Abolutely gorgeous!
    Blessings!

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  6. Shannon

    I want to just pick all of them bundle them up and put in a vase on the kitchen table.

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  7. sheila

    Your photos immediately brought to mind Monet’s Wild Poppies 1873…
    the more things change, the more they stay the same!
    It’s inspiring to see these poppies raise their cheerful faces to the Sun 134 years later, and to think they will probably still do so in another 134 years..!
    xx

    Reply
  8. Marilyn

    This has nothing to do with poppies… J. has been booked to play a gig at a casino in Oroville tomorrow. He asked, “Where’s Oroville?” (He’s not from here–he’s a Portlander.) I thought of you when I said, “It’s east of Willows.” And then it dawned on me…he doesn’t know where Willows is. 😉

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  9. joyce

    The poppies are fantastic. When I visited France for the first time it was the poppies growing wild in the fields that caught my eye and let me know I was truly in a different country. Your picture brought that feeling back. Now I want to go back!

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  10. Miz Booshay

    Yup.
    I thought of Oz first :o)
    You sure have early blooming.
    I like wishing on the ‘first’ of anything.
    I’m gonna start doing that :o)
    Thanks for the pretty and sweet post!

    Reply
  11. Penny

    I always wish on the moon — its my talisman. Since childhood I’ve believed that the moon looks down on me and guides me.

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  12. Paris Parfait

    Beautiful red poppies! And I do still occasionally wish upon stars.

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  13. Paris Parfait

    P.S. I forgot to say, but one can’t always see the stars in Paris, because of the pollution! Sigh.

    Reply
  14. constance

    I’ve only seen California poppies, never these stunning Red variety. You have so many to carpet your earth. Lucky you.
    I’m going to adopt the “firsts” of Spring ritual. It’s a good one.

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  15. shabbyinthecity

    In my part of Ky/Tn they plant red poppies in the medians of I-24 which is gorgeous!!!
    My mom has them scattered with lupines in her garden…also gorgeous!

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  16. Darlene

    Besides the fact that RED is one of my favorite colors, Poppies are special to me, as they hold the childhood memory of picking them for my Grandma. My cousin told me that it was illegal and that I would go to jail.
    “Nu uh” I replied, and right out the kitchen window, my grandma said, “Don’t worry honey, I won’t turn you in.”
    It took a long long time for me to fully understand THAT one 😉
    Beautiful post Corey
    Thank You
    xOx Darlene

    Reply
  17. Catherine Mary

    Lately, I have a desire to see warm colors–reds, golds, oranges. I’ve never been partial to those colors before! Your pictures fof red poppies fulfilled my desire. As far as firsts–I take note of when I see my first robin in the spring.

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  18. susanna

    Oh, how absolutely heavenly! I have a reoccuring dream of walking through a field of poppies…sigh…I love that dream!

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  19. mymelange

    They are gorgeous. I saw similar scenes while driving in Tuscany ….we had to pull over, just so I could really appreciate them…thanks for the memory, Corey!

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  20. Linda

    Besides lavender, one of my favorite site in Provence. Since they are relatively early this summer, I’m thinking it’s going to be very hot this season.

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  21. eb

    this absolutely delights!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    here in no. VT – April SNOWS!
    oh red poppies! oh red poppies! oh red, red, red poppies!!!!!!!!!!
    this – today’s mantra
    thank you
    xox – eb.

    Reply
  22. Mrs.Staggs

    I do indeed wish upon the stars!
    You’ve painted a beautiful picture with your words as well as your photographs Corey. I feel as if I’m there.
    My neighbor once planted her front garden full of these poppies. It was so lovely, and they came back to visit for years. I still have a few pop up in my garden from time to time.

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  23. tut-tut

    Just lovely!

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  24. Merisi’s Vienna

    Such lovely fields, they evoke memories of Roman countrysides and the hills of Umbria (there’s this now old Zeffirelli film of “Claire and Francis”, where Zeffirelli beautifully captured the wild poppy fields).
    In Austria poppies are most often accompanied by blue cornflowers and camomile later in the summer. One of those days I want to see those lavender fields in Provence.
    Thanks for the inspiring images.

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  25. cruststation

    Beautiful field, Spring is the bestest season for colours. I have never seen a poppy field before and I am loving your photos. Sending warm wishes to you!

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  26. Blame It on Paris

    Lovely fields, Corey! Thanks for sharing.

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  27. tommiea

    I do wish on stars….and every night we go out to say goodnight to the moon!
    beautiful flowers….we used to get fields of those in Alaska.

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  28. tricia

    what a lovely post! so so very happy to have found your blog!

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  29. Elaine

    Poppies are abundant here in a few weeks. Right now we still have some snow here in the foothills. I love poppies. Your photos are beautiful! Thank you for sharing once again.

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  30. melly

    I live around the corner from where Frank Baum, the writer of The Wizard of Oz was born, and if you believe it, we are expecting a foot of snow….No wonder he had to dream of wonderful tales to escape the never ending winter that stretched all the way into summer! Those photos are magical !

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  31. pam aries

    In Flander’s Field the poppies grow..between the crosses row on row…

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  32. Renee

    You wrote: If you are lucky, you might see all three against the Provencal blue sky. That is when you know you are in OZ.
    That is the sight I will always remember when I think of France. The lavender and poppies of Provence. I can still smell the air…:)

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  33. Star

    These remind me of Monet–*sigh*
    I love how you call them “spontaneous.” They are, indeed; nothing fussy or prim about them.
    I don’t really wish on anything. But I think your list of “firsts” is a good start 😀

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  34. Terri Pollhein

    Gorgeous!
    Terri

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  35. Cat

    The poppies are beautiful. We don’t have fields of poppies here, but I have seen them in Europe and was amazed!
    Looking of these are making me think of Pinar on her walk to the field of poppies.

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  36. Julie

    That’s one flower that can make me jealous for France. 🙂

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  37. Beachy

    Lovely red poppies! My favorite color! We had one red poppy grow just once in my yard when I was a child… apparently my great grandmother had poppies growing there years and years before. After my father did some digging for an addition onto our house, one old poppy seed sprouted, producing one poppy, as if my great grandmother was saying “hello”! It never grew again.

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  38. Lee

    Well, I’m not sure about OZ but I am in Oz. I love the red poppies, they come up from seed every year in my back garden and are a glorious thing to look forward too. Not quite in the profusion of your photos but then my backyard is a tad smaller!

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  39. parisapapartment

    Your pics are so inspring, as is your whole gorgeous blog world! I’d love to use one of your photos to highlight your blog on mine, would you allow that?

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  40. Catalina

    I love poppies Corey! Once I tried to plant them and then I realised they grow the second year…long wait…but finally they arived. Thank you!

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  41. Lea

    Thank You for these pictures, Corey! I LOVE red poppies, and I mean really LOVE them. And I have seen fields of poppies, lavender and sunflowers just about all at once in Poitou-Charentes. It’s one of the most beautiful things in the world for me. I’m practically in tears now…

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  42. simple me

    These make me so happy 🙂
    we have places that look just like this over here.

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  43. JanePoe (aka Deborah)

    I like the ideas of wishes … one can never have enough! JP

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  44. Sylvie

    Oh how I miss being there for that unfurling of the carpet that begins with the red poppies and ends with Les Tournesols. Merci for the images 🙂

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  45. minnie

    you are such an angel on earth to remind us if every tiny little joy….i know everytime i read your blog, a new door and window have opened heaven n earth….

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  46. Tara Larsen Chang

    Fields of poppies! What a lovely idea to make a wish on the first *everything*. Am going to have to start implementing that.

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  47. Veronica TM

    so much beauty!

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  48. Petite Capucine

    Oh, these photos are SO LOVELY! I’ve never been able to get to Provence when the poppies are blooming, it is a treat to see what it is like in real photos. It’s something I really want to see; I feel less like I missed it now. (Seeing the sunflowers and lavender in bloom are my other two!)
    I must try to get a California Poppy photo for you, now!

    Reply
  49. andrea

    Oh you must let me paint the top picture. Yes, please say yes…it is devine.
    Hugs,
    a.

    Reply
  50. CathyC

    This field of poppies is so beautiful! I could sleep in it.

    Reply

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