Meconopsis x sheldonii

Meconopsis, or blue Himalayan poppies, are one of my favorite perennials. It doesn't get any bluer than this. In case you have yet to see one in person, the photo doesn't lie: they are true sky blue. The unfortunate thing about these magnificent plants is that they tend to be monocarpic in my climate, meaning they die after they flower. In cooler, more humid climates, they will live for 20 or more years, flowering year after year. The M. x sheldonii that I pictured in bloom last year I had bought the year before, and it died after it flowered. This new one I recently purchased in flower, and I am going to plant it in full shade, in the coolest spot in my garden, to see if I can get it to survive. I also bought a smaller M. grandis that should bloom next year.