The carnival is over

The party is over, the party-goers are straggling home, or at least most of them have gone. There's a few hangers-on, the worse for wear, but it's agreed all-round that it has been a truly great party. Started in June, finally ended in early November – by anyone's measure, that's a party. Friends, the poppies have finally run out of puff, but they'll be back next year. But before we say goodbye, one last snap-happy lap of the poppy patch seems in order, because they're still putting on a little show, if you get down on your knees and take a close look.

Typical poppy patch party-goer here, with a few loose ends and ladders in her stockings. A few spillages here and there, but what the hell?

Some poppies never know when to quit, but when I looked up close at this orange dazzler I could see the story of poppy seed pods unfurling in the centre, so I thought I'd find a couple of examples of what happens next...

Once the petals fall away all that's left is the little starfish of polleny stuff on top.

And a few weeks later all that's left is a crusty marking on top, and a much slimmed-down seed pod, devoid of its paunch, remains.

And in the end, when the pod fully dries and the seed fall to the ground, ready for next year, the brown shells.

But no-one told these two the party is over! Whispering sweet nothings?

But you do know the party is over when the cleaners come in. All the bees have gone, in search of pollen elsewhere, and the flies have taken over.

Hey wait, am I late for the party, everyone? Yep, there's energy in some plants still, but there's only dribs and drabs of flowers struggling up now, the summer is beckoning, and I have a cunning plan that doesn't involve turnips.

Next up in this sprawling 1.7m x 2m Poppy Ponderosa I plan to create a summer Potager Garden. Thank you poppies, you've been wonderful, and the potager is just going in for the summer and autumn seasons. Come May next year it will be making way for the return of the best winter picking flower you could hope for – the Iceland poppy.