Iceland Poppies are tricky to grow. Their tiny seeds are easy to lose or bury in a layer of vermiculite, and they are one of the few poppy varieties that do best when starting in a seed tray.

If you want to grow poppies in your garden, I'm sharing my best tips for planting and caring for these flowers. Related: 7 Gorgeous Flowers Martha is Starting From Seed Right Now Choose the Right ...

• Poppies are best planted by seed in the fall but can be planted as starts in a home garden right now. Fortune seekers flocking to California back in 1849 hoped to find fields of gold.

This poppy plant often appears uninvited in gardens, perhaps from seed dropped by birds. They self-sow. Once you’ve grown them, they usually will pop up here and there every year afterward.