Hat tip: DrugSpot

Based on interviews with farmers in the Helmand province, where 3,300 British troops will arrive over the coming months, the group claims that U.K. counter-narcotics officers promised local farmers $350 for every fifth of a hectare of opium poppies they destroyed.

'These farmers kept their side of the deal and eradicated their crops, but the British Government did not keep their word,' said Mohammad Gull, a local representative from the Sharwali District in Helmand who was involved in the initial negotiations with the British representatives. 'In our culture this is very dishonorable and we are very angry.'

The plan calls for big efforts to ensure that journalists are given every opportunity to figure out and report the official line. It calls for journalists to be escorted on eradication missions, regular bulletins for the press "assuming poppy eradication goes well," and "professionally designed" press kits with fact sheets "that can last for several months."

Wow.

These plants are showstoppers. Passers-by routinely gawk at mine when they're in full bloom, the tallest at their eye level. With their impressive variety, spectacular blooms and strange seed pods, breadseed poppies are one of the easiest ways to add a bit of architecture and a lot of dazzle to your garden.

So go ahead and plant your opium poppy seeds -- as long as you keep your nose clean and call your plants "Breadseed Poppies" you've got yourself a garden showpiece! If only it was that simple.

Common name: Breadseed poppy
Genus/species: Papaver somniferum
Family: Papaveraceae

Description: Breadseed poppies are one of the great pleasures of spring here in the Bay Area. Unlike the vast variety of other poppy species, like Flanders poppies or the ubiquitous Icelandic poppies, breadseed poppies send up thick flower stems that rise as high as 5 feet and produce five to 10 nodding flower heads. When the flowers do burst, overnight, from their casings, the gardener is treated to some of the most dramatic flowers in the plant kingdom. Most commonly, the brightly painted, bowl-shaped flowers contain four petals, each with a dark spot at the base, and can reach a diameter of 5 inches. There is also a peony-flowered variety, so named because the flowers resemble the double form of the peony, with a solid mass of frilly flowers.

As if this weren't enough to tempt any gardener -- and it is -- once the petals drop, one is left with a spectacular, instantly recognizable seedpod. A distinctive bluish-green, these capsules have a little crown of ridges ringing their tops.

Cultivation: Grow in deep, well-drained, fertile soil in full sun. Give sufficient water to increase both the number of flowers and their individual size. Although breadseed poppies gobble up the nutrients, their eventual show will be more than worth the proper environment. P. somniferums grow quickly, always a plus for the impatient gardeners among us. Although I buy mine each year in 4-inch pots, with a little care most poppies can be grown from seed. And with breadseed poppies, there is no shortage of seed.

Note: the seeds of this plant, when eaten raw, can cause mild stomach upset.

Pests: The most serious problem for these poppies is root rot. Excellent drainage is a must. And unfortunately, I've found that snails find the young leaves very yummy, so a snail deterrent is recommended. They can be prone to gray mold, but usually this is only a cosmetic issue. Once they get established, P. somniferums are very hardy.

Availability: At the risk of showing bias, Annie's Annuals is the place to get breadseed poppies. Starting in December and peaking in February, they carry as many as 15 varieties of these eye-catching annuals, all in budget-friendly 4-inch pots. Whether you find them at your local nursery, go to Annie's wholesale location in Richmond or order online (www.anniesannuals.com), you're sure to find an incredible variety of these poppies this time of year.

Comments: Anyone who has feasted on a yummy poppy seed muffin has eaten the seed of breadseed poppies thus the common name. But it's the flowers you're after, with names like 'Persian Princess,' 'Drama Queen,' 'Danebrog,' 'Taffeta,' 'Naughty 90s,' 'Pink Flamingo' and 'Raspberry Ripple' and colors that run the gamut from pure white to pale apricot to crimson red to the richest of burgundies. As a bonus, certain varieties feature deeply fringed petals, adding another delightful angle to their beauty.

These plants are showstoppers. Passers-by routinely gawk at mine when they're in full bloom, the tallest at their eye level. With their impressive variety, spectacular blooms and strange seed pods, breadseed poppies are one of the easiest ways to add a bit of architecture and a lot of dazzle to your garden.

The Washington Post tries to keep things as boring as possible with the stats-laden report Afghan drugs trade still a major threat, while the Houston Chronical takes a more pessimistic view with Afghan Opium stymies US efforts. So where does the truth lie? Well why not just read the damn thing for yourself and make up your own mind, because it looks like all the mainstream outlets have to say is just the same-old status quo.

Drug WarRant has some interesting commentary on the south-american stats in the report.