Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11
ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
Poppies and marigolds can share a sunny garden, but they are not interchangeable plants: “poppy” covers species with different sowing needs, while marigolds range from compact signets to tall, large-flowered African types. Choose the plants for your climate, soil drainage and desired scale, then sow each according to its species rather than a universal calendar.
Start by identifying the poppy
California, Oriental, Iceland and breadseed poppies have different habits. Check the botanical name on the seed packet before deciding when or how to sow. General poppy timing advice is only a starting point: Botanical Interests suggests sowing outdoors four to six weeks before the average last frost, once soil can be worked, or in early to mid-fall for bloom the following spring. In mild climates, late summer to early fall may suit. Follow the species-specific packet and local conditions.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCalifornia poppy: direct-sow in a sunny, drained spot
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) grows as a bushy plant with blue-green, fern-like foliage and orange flowers. The California State Capitol Museum describes it as reaching up to two feet tall and wide, blooming from spring into early summer, and tolerating drought. It prefers sunshine and native soil.
For a garden patch, use a clean, sunny seedbed with good drainage and little competition. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service says California poppy grows across soil textures from sand to clay loam, but not where water pools or soil stays saturated. Direct sowing is usually the easiest way to establish it; plants do not tolerate transplanting well unless moved when very young.
#1 Best Overall
- COMPLETE 5-PIECE BRUSH SET FOR EVERY PAINTING TASK — Includes 1 Inch Flat, 1.5 Inch Angle, 2 Inch Flat, 2 Inch Angle Stubby, and 2.5 Inch Angle brush giving you every size professional painters use daily. Get all 5 for less than the price of a single brush from hardware store brands — professional grade performance at a fraction of the cost. Perfect for walls, trim, cabinets, doors, furniture, and detailed cutting-in work on any project.
- ZERO BRISTLE LOSS — GUARANTEED BY PRECISION ADHESIVE BONDING — Every bristle is locked in place with precision-set adhesive that keeps them in the brush — not in your paint job. The coated steel ferrule provides structural support while the adhesive bond ensures clean performance on every stroke. Premium SRT synthetic filaments load more paint and release it evenly for a smooth streak-free finish on walls, ceilings, and trim. Works with latex, oil-based paint, primer, sealer, and wood stain.
- INCLUDES THE ANGLE STUBBY MOST SETS LEAVE OUT — Professional painters know the 2 Inch Angle Stubby is the go-to brush for tight cabinet interiors, window sashes, inside corners, and detailed trim where standard angle brushes are too long. Combined with the 1.5 and 2.5 inch angle sash brushes you have precision cutting-in covered at every scale — baseboards, crown molding, door casings, and ceiling lines.
- FLAT BRUSHES FOR BROAD SMOOTH COVERAGE ON ANY SURFACE — The 1 and 2 inch flat brushes deliver even coverage on walls, furniture, shelving, doors, fences, decks, and wood surfaces. Ideal for applying primers, stains, varnishes, polyurethane, and specialty coatings. Solid wood handles provide all-day comfort and control for both professional contractors and weekend DIY homeowners tackling interior or exterior painting projects.
- TRUSTED BY PROFESSIONAL PAINTERS AND CONTRACTORS NATIONWIDE — Pro Grade delivers professional-grade results at a price that makes sense for crews who go through brushes on every job. Ideal for property managers, remodeling contractors, apartment turnover crews, maintenance teams, and commercial painting operations. Backed by thousands of verified reviews from working painters. Washable and reusable for multiple projects.
For non-dormant seed, the NRCS guide recommends surface sowing and covering it to about 1/8 inch. It notes that dormant seed may do better at 1/4–1/2 inch because light inhibits germination of these small dormant seeds. Established plants may reseed and maintain a patch, depending partly on competition.
The NRCS guide lists 3–4 pounds per acre, or 18–24 seeds per square foot, for solitary broadcast stands, attributing the recommendation to Brenzel (2007). That is a broadcast-stand rate, not a ready-made spacing rule for a small home bed.
Oriental poppy: surface-sow and avoid unnecessary moves
Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) seed needs light to germinate, so sow it on the surface and do not cover it. Iowa State University Extension says no pretreatment is needed; its guidance gives 7–14 days at an ideal 65–70°F for germination. Direct sowing is often preferable because Oriental poppies can be difficult to transplant.
Rank #2
- Great Value Pack Artist Paint Brushes: Soucolor 20 brushes in 10 sizes professional paintbrushes set — no shedding, holds paint well, cleans easily, Acrylic, watercolor, oil, gouache, Halloween pumpkin decoration & face painting, rock painting, ceramics. Fantastic high quality gifts for creative, artistic siblings to share!
- Awesome Set of Paint brushes: Professional paint brushes can cover all of your needs. The multi-purposed brushes are ideal for Watercolor, Oil, Gouache, enamel, Acrylic Painting, Body, Nail, Face Painting, Miniature, Model, Wood, Glass, Cup, Ceramic, Fine work, Art class, Craft Art Painting, DIY Art Crafts etc.
- Soft and long-lasting: The bristles are soft and strong, with nickel metal ferrules and blue wooden handles. After cleaning, the bristles will become soft and fluffy again and will not fall off.
- Easy to clean: it’s very convenient to Wash well in soap and water. Retain shape after drying. the brushes hold up very well. Nice selection to beginners and professionals. Keep them clean and they last a long time.
- Halloween Pumpkin Ceramic Crafts Supplies: A Great painting gift for family, friends, kids, girls, women, student, classmate, teacher. For using in school, travel or used in the home and office.
Iceland and breadseed poppies: check species-specific guidance
Botanical Interests describes Iceland poppies as short-lived perennials in USDA zones 2–8, often grown as annuals, and Oriental poppies as perennials in zones 3–8, otherwise grown as annuals. These are general descriptions, not guarantees for every cultivar or local site. UC Master Gardeners of Napa County gives May through July as the Iceland poppy bloom period in its local context; that timing should not be assumed for every climate.
Breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum) is grown for flowers and seeds. UC Master Gardeners of Napa County cautions that only its seeds are edible and the rest of the plant is toxic. Keep that warning specific to breadseed poppy rather than applying it to all poppies.
Choose a marigold by height and flower scale
The three principal common ornamental marigolds in the U.S. are African (Tagetes erecta), French (T. patula) and signet (T. tenuifolia). Iowa State University Extension describes their typical dimensions and forms as follows:
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- 【All sizes of art brushes】: The 10 sizes of multi-functional brushes have various shapes, making the mixing color easier, which is very suitable for artists, students, teenagers, children and painters at all levels. Wonderful Present ideas for friends and family who like painting!
- 【general brush set】: Professional paint brush can meet all your needs. Multifunctional brush is very suitable for watercolor, oil, gouache, acrylic painting, body, nail, face painting, miniature, model, ceramics, arts and crafts painting, etc.
- 【high quality process】: It is designed with anti falling bristles, anti-rust nickel ferrule and solid wood handle. You can use the brush to focus on the painting and always be creative.
- 【easy to maintain】: After using the brush, it is very convenient to clean the brush with warm soapy water and reshape the tip of the brush. Air dry the brush and place it on top of the top for long use.
- 【100% satisfaction guarantee - buy now】1 packs of set brushes, you can also get friendly customer service, any questions feel free to contact us, within 24 hours to help you! There is no risk in buying our paint brush kit.
| Type | Typical height | Flowers and form | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| African | 10–36 inches | Large flowers, often up to 5 inches | Best suited to a bed or border where taller growth and bold blooms fit. |
| French | 6–18 inches | Flowers rarely over 2 inches | Common in U.S. retail; adapts to many soil types and tolerates moist soil better than other common marigolds. |
| Signet | Usually under 1 foot | Small flowers with finer-textured foliage | A compact choice when a lighter, finer-textured look is wanted. |
These are typical dimensions reported by Iowa State Extension, not guaranteed mature sizes for every cultivar or growing site.
Match the plants to sun, soil and season
Most marigolds prefer full sun and well-drained to dry soil. Once established, they tolerate drought and can grow in containers, beds and borders. French marigolds offer more latitude if the soil is somewhat moist, but that does not make persistent waterlogging a good choice. California poppy is especially poorly suited to ground that stays saturated.
Before sowing, compare the plants on the details that determine whether they will suit your garden:
Rank #4
- Bates paint brushes come in a convenient 6 pieces with 3 flat and 3 angled bristle styles, including (1”, 1.5”, 2”) flat and (1.5”, 2”, 2.5”) angled bristles, perfect for tackling any surface painting or staining job.
- The sturdy natural bristles of each brush are designed to hold more paint, creating a smoother finish with fewer streaks and saving you time on the job.
- The lightweight wooden handles provide extra comfort and ease during long painting processes like walls, trims, cabinets, and doors.
- These versatile brushes are ready-to-use, easy to clean, and can be reused multiple times, making them economical as well as reliable tools for any painting project.
- Bates paint brushes can be used for both oil-based paints as well as latex stains and are ideal for home or commercial projects such as decks, fences or DIY painting jobs.
- Climate and frost: Use local frost timing and the species or cultivar’s guidance, not a date borrowed from another region.
- Drainage: Favor freely drained ground for California poppies and most marigolds; French marigolds tolerate somewhat moister conditions than other common types.
- Scale: Check mature height and spread against the bed, container or border. California poppies can reach two feet tall and wide; marigold size varies substantially by type.
- Sowing method: Direct-sow California poppies and consider direct-sowing Oriental poppies to avoid difficult transplanting. Use seed-packet directions for the chosen marigold.
- Seedheads or repeat flowers: Leave some poppy flowers to set seed if you want reseeding, or deadhead to extend bloom. For marigolds, deadheading keeps plants tidy; it particularly helps African types rebloom, while French types can rebloom without it.
Both groups can work in a sunny ornamental bed, but there is no established universal spacing recipe or proven general benefit to planting them together. Give each plant room according to its mature size and sowing instructions.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Care after sowing
Keep poppy feeding light
Botanical Interests advises that poppies generally need little fertilizer; excess nitrogen can favor leafy growth over flowers. Thin seedlings to the spacing on the packet; its general guide suggests 1–2 inches depending on packet recommendations. Deadhead for a longer display, or leave some flowers to form seed if you want plants to reseed.
Deadhead marigolds for neatness and bloom
Remove spent flowers when you want a tidier appearance. Iowa State Extension notes that this can encourage reblooming in African marigolds; French marigolds can rebloom without deadheading. Pest and disease problems are usually limited, although insects may occasionally attack.
Best Value
- 2 Inch Angled Paint Brush for Precision Cutting-In – Designed for clean, sharp lines around trim, baseboards, ceilings, corners, and detailed edge work. The perfect size for control and coverage.
- Value 3-Pack for Pros & DIY Projects – Includes three professional 2-inch angled sash brushes — ideal for contractors, remodelers, and homeowners tackling multiple rooms or repeat paint jobs.
- Smooth Results on Walls, Trim & Cabinets – Great for interior wall painting, cabinet edges, furniture projects, and trim work where a smooth finish and crisp control matter most.
- Works with Latex Paint, Oil-Based Paint & Stains – Premium synthetic filaments hold more paint, reduce streaks, and provide a clean finish with latex paints, oil coatings, and wood stains.
- Works with Latex Paint, Oil-Based Paint & Stains – Premium synthetic filaments hold more paint, reduce streaks, and provide a clean finish with latex paints, oil coatings, and wood stains.
Use French marigolds for nematodes only with realistic expectations
Iowa State Extension reports that some French marigolds release alpha-terthienyl from their roots, which can affect root-knot nematode eggs. The source describes cover-crop use for at least two months before vegetables as an effective use case. This is a specific management practice, not a guarantee that planting a few marigolds beside vegetables will control pests.
Choose packets that match the plan
Buy separate seed packets labeled for the intended poppy species and marigold type or cultivar. That lets you follow the right sowing depth, timing and expected mature size, rather than treating all poppies as one plant or all marigolds as the same scale. For exact timing and spacing, use the packet together with your local climate and frost calendar.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
