I live in Sydney, NSW. Three months ago I found two sad plants on the ‘sick plants’ trolley at a local store. They have a label naming them as eschscholzia [lemon drops] and I am looking for some information as what to do with them if anyone can help.

I can find no information on eschscholzia across the Garden web site, but a Google search says they are California poppies.

I put them into 12 inch pots with good potting mix and they have thrived with regular doses of liquid fertiliser. They have a straw / grass like blue-green foliage, the flowers are tiny, bell like and bright yellow. I cut the foliage back after the first flush of flowers and have had two further flowerings since then.

Are they perennials or annual plants and, if perennials, should they be cut back hard when they finish flowering? At present they seem to be dying off but may have been affected by recent very hot weather.

The foliage is very fine, straw like and lank but the flowers keep coming so I guess I don’t have to worry about them.

Many of my plants came from the plant hospital and I have resuscitated most of them, the problem is they often come without any meaningful information so guessing what they might be adds to the fun.

There are some lovely shades in Eschscholzia californica, and this sort is 'short lived perennial'. It grows from zone 6-11 so it's clearly a toughie! E.caespitosa is an annual and has yellow flowers.

They're great for a gravel garden or a place by the beach. High sun and low water needs.

Mine have tiny, bright yellow cup like flowers so perhaps they are the E.caespitosa you mentioned, they have repaid me many times overand I am hoping they will reproduce themselves - at present they are either being fried or drowned, depending which day it is here in Sydney.