Shirley Poppy Is An Annual Flower Known For Glowing In The Sunlight. Plants Start As Basal Rosettes And Bloom In Spring. They Grow One To Three Feet In Height, With Flowers Two To Four Inches. Plants Hate High Heat. Protect From Rabbits And Slugs. Thin To 12 Inches Apart. Pinch Once For Bushiness. Deadhead Or Harvest To Prolong Flowering. Allow Seeds to Ripen and Self-Sow. Poppies Are Hard To Transplant. Plant Seeds Outdoors Four Weeks Before The Danger Of Frost Ends, In Well-Drained, Rich Beds In Full Sun. Or Start Seeds Indoors In Individual Pots Six Weeks Earlier. Seeds Take Eight Days To Germinate At 70 Degrees Fahrenheit, Longer In Cooler Temperatures. In Cool Climates, Make Successive Sowing.