A large part of central northern Tasmania has rich, red, volcanic soil. Much of this beautiful soil is farmland that produces a range of agricultural products including various crops and dairying.
One of the crops commonly grown here is flowers, especially tulips in the spring. Now, in the middle of summer, the flowers that are here are poppies, grown for their opiates.
Here’s a newly-ploughed paddock of that red soil being prepared for a crop of some sort:
That soil just glows with the colour contrast to the surrounding green grass and the blue sea!
The poppies have lovely pale white or lilac flowers and form a snowy carpet over big part of the landscape.
Meeting the poppy fields
We are doing a house-sit in Wynyard, in the middle of this vast area of farmland. We first noticed the poppies as we drove into the area from Launceston to start our house-sit. A powerful squall came through as we were driving along, which made for dramatic scenery:
And the rain freshened up the poppies:
Poppies on Table Cape
One of our favourite walks around the Wynyard area is along the Table Cape cliff tops, to the Table Cape lighthouse. Tulips are grown on the flat top of the cape in the spring; however, the fields that we walk past are now covered in poppies:
Along with the views of the poppy fields on Table Cape, the views in the other direction – out to sea – are marvellous.
Poppy flowers
The poppy flowers are complex forms with delicate petals ranging in colour from white to pale lilac, with some darker mauve patches.
During the time of our house-sit in Wynyard, many of the poppies lost their petals, leaving fields of just blue-green seed heads.
Warning signs
Just in case anyone thinks of trying to do a bit of home brew with the poppy seed heads, there are warning signs on all the fields.
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