For my whole life, I’ve had friends who have done that thing where they copy me, but then do better than me. My friend Polly had this incredible skill which involved not revising for a test, copying me, and then getting a better score. Two other friends didn’t come to any of the lessons for ou rmusic theory course, so I taught them everything I knew. They got distinctions, I just passed. My friend Ruby came along one day when I’d taken up the discuss. She ended up on the county team.

So I can relate to the poppy. There she was, swaying in the breeze, attracting attention with her bright redpetals, when along came the anemone coronaria or ‚poppy anemone,‘ so called because it looks rather like a poppy with its saucer shaped flowers and dark centre. But it comes in different colours like white, mauve and perhaps most stunningly, a bright blue-purple. See ya later, poppy.

Anemone coronaria means crown anemone, and it has regal associations, most notably with Tanmuz, the Sumerian god of food and vegetation, and the Greek god Adonis. It grows wild all over Israel and Jordan and was elected as the national flower of Israel in 2013.

The plant grows up to 20-40cm tall with each flower on a single stem. It’s best planted in a South- or East-facing sheltered plot in full sun. Soil should be well-drained and may need protection from winter frosts. Also watch out for slugs who like to feast on it.

Which serves it right really, for treating poor poppy in the way that it did.