That's what they're calling it over at Morris Arboretum till the end of June. Artist Gary G. Miller has created an exhibit called "Papaver Rubrum Giganteum" in the front meadow consisting of - what else - 300 giant red poppies that sway and bow in the wind. It's quite dramatic, especially if you're just driving along Northwestern Avenue minding your own business and used to seeing absolutely nothing in the field there.
The "poppies" are 10 feet tall, made of red aluminum. The "blooms" are 20 inches across, standing atop PVC pipe stems. I've seen them twice now, once on a cold, rainy evening and once yesterday, when it was 80-plus degrees and bright sunshine. They're fun to watch in any weather, really, looping and circling in the breeze or the rain like little kids whirling around.
Speaking of kids, the arboretum, in conjunction with nearby Woodmere Art Museum, has scheduled a family event June 7 (1-3 p.m.) where kids can make their own poppies. Guarantee they'll be cooler than the Kleenex bouquets we used to make back in the day with tissues and bobby pins.
