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poppy seedlings or dandelion weeds?

bellevallenderbellevallender Posts: 21
in Problem solving
So I made the mistake of scattering opium poppy seeds in my borders - will never do this again, have no idea what is the start of a lovely poppy and what is a dandelion! I've checked photos online, they look like they could be either. They are new borders where there was previously lawn. Are there any distinguishing features I could look out for to try to determine what's what? 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,078
    Opium poppy seedlings’ leaves tend to be a blueish grey-green whereas dandelions are a real ‘leaf green’. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bellevallenderbellevallender Posts: 21
    ah great, thank you @Dovefromabove :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 53,942
    You'll soon find out - dandelions don't hang about in growing  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • gabrielkemlogabrielkemlo Posts: 4
    edited May 2020
    Aren't dandelions the thing now? With the edible flower vogue, various findings about health benefits; one presumably to the immune system, everything seems to be about that. Certainly they sell dandelion tea in the organic health stores. I'm curious about all the weeds growing in my garden too, especially as I've sown poppies like you, and look enviously at the beautiful poppies I see growing out of cracks in the concrete next to motorways etc. At the same time I notice, as I walk along my road, some of the most beautiful gardens, IMO, are the ones that are uncultivated and have gone to seed. End of my boring tuppenorth.  
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    Please send pictures 😋 Let them grow and you will soon see in a few weeks...I have scattered thousands in my borders so can tell you pretty fast! 
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 920
    I let dandelions grow in parts of my garden. They are a very rich source of nectar and pollen for all sorts of beetles, insects and pollinators especially in early Spring when there isn’t as much available. Goldfinches also love the seed. 
    It’s easy enough to nip off the spent flowers to control numbers or whip out those popping up in the ‘wrong’ place.
    I also love the richness of the colour and looking forward to showing my granddaughter how to ask the dandelion clock the time 🙂

     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,527
    Dandelions are a very resourceful plant.
    The flowers are great for many insects and make a fabulous wine.
    The young leaves can be added to salads.
    The root can be used as a substitute for coffee (not very nice but then in the war that was all they had).
    And the stems? Children can use them to blow bubbles from a mixture of washing up liquid and water.
    Who hasn't used a dandelion clock.
    Lovely plant and much maligned.
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