Start with poppy seeds, some bare ground, plus a little irrigation from the sky and – voila – a breathtaking array of spring flowers. The easy part of growing poppies is letting Mother Nature do much of the work; the hard part is choosing which poppies to grow. The state’s flower, California poppy (Eschscholzia), are classics, in golden orange or in new shades of pink, cream, yellow and red-orange above lacy gray-green leaves. Horned poppies (Glaucium) sport slick lemon yellow or clear orange flowers above silvery lobed leaves. Breadbox, breadseed or opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) stand tall above ruffled blue-gray leaves with single, double or peony-style flowers in rich jewel tones or sweet pastels. For a good selection of seeds, shop Renee’s Garden Seeds (www.reneesgarden.com ), Botanical Interests (www.botanicalinterests.com), and Thompson & Morgan (www.tmseeds.com). Annie’s Annuals (www.anniesannuals.com) offers a variety of poppies in 4-inch pots.