“Well hello there,” I whispered, gently touching the paper-like head that balanced precariously atop a long, skinny stem, “I certainly did not expect to see something like you in here.” 

It seemed to nod, the bright splash of red peeking out of the thicket in my hedgerow. A poppy. A single, lone poppy. How in the world did it get here?

In a neighbor’s yard there is a flower garden with poppies, but with the distance and obstacles in-between, it seemed unlikely a seed blew this far. Maybe it was carried by a bird, or got caught on the fur of a stray cat?

More importantly though, how did it grow in such a hostile environment?

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