You can bake with them or sow them freely in your garden or gather them & give it to friends.

I just leave them on the plant for as long as possible....the seed heads have a beauty all of their own :)

Puddleduck the seeds leave the seed head fairly rapidly the seed head itself remains and is attractive. Just let the seed set naturally - though this does mean you can't wander around weeding until you can work out if it is a weed or not.

In Adoons' advice, though, baking with them is only safe if it is one of the edible forms of Papaver somniferum, such as 'Hungarian Blue'.

I am surprised you say this happens quickly MG? as I check my orientals to to see when they are going to open to let the seed out and have found they change texture/colour before they are ready to yield, then I throw them on the ground where I would like them to be - never had any luck yet.

Ah, that's because you are throwing down the unopened pod. The seeds within rot instead of sprouting. Next time, check every morning to see if the little vents under the "crown" on top of the seed pod are beginning to open, then pick the pod, and allow it to dry in a paper bag, so you can trap the seeds.

That's what my mother used to do, Tugbrethil.

I grew oriental poppies from seed a few years ago and they took two years to germinate. When they finally appeared, though, they were (and still are) magnificent. I love them!

It is also the problem of using the word 'poppy' there are over ten different species that have the common name of poppy. 'Poppy' to me means Meconopsis...

Papaver – Oriental poppy
Iceland poppy
Eschscholzia – California poppy and relatives
Meconopsis – Welsh poppy, Nepal poppy, and relatives

Are just a first few

Point taken MG, I grew some orange Welsh poppy from seed last year but they all got eaten.

They did, what by? It is a very pretty 'weed' in our garden and we try to dead head before the seed is set. (Try being the operative word!)

Dont know, one day they flowered and the next day they were gone.

Caterpillars would be my bet! They strip the leaves off some of Aquilegias every year.

I think you are right MG shame as they were pretty.

Very pretty.

To me, "poppy" means Papaver Somniferum...(the opium poppy) :) I leave the seed heads well alone, and they stay looking beautiful well after the flowers have faded. The welsh poppy however gets it's seed pods chopped off as soon as I realise it's finished flowering, as it can become a bit of a nuisance (I do love it though);)

Advise well taken, thx.