USask horticulture student honours peace by growing poppies

The display is a project of the heart for University of Saskatchewan (USask) horticulture student Corporal Fikret Ükis, who has been a member of the Canadian Armed Forces since 2018.

“I thought it would be meaningful to have real poppies growing here on campus. They’re such a powerful symbol; simple, but deeply emotional,” Ükis said.

It has been more than 100 years since the First World War and 80 years since the Second World War, and the world continues to see terrible conflict, he noted.

“People sometimes forget that the freedoms and sovereignty we enjoy today were paid for by the sacrifices of those men and women,” he said. “It’s sad to see how fragile peace can be. The Ukrainians know this better than anyone right now; their sovereignty is currently under threat. Here in Canada, we take peace for granted, and we’ve forgotten how hard people had to fight during the First and Second World Wars, and how hard we still have to fight, to protect it.”

Ükis said the poppy is a delicate flower and needs a lot of care and attention. He started by growing them at home, intending to give them to members of his army unit, but they didn’t fare too well.

So, he asked if he could try the plants in a greenhouse on campus, and was given permission. He did a test trial earlier in the year, and then planted the present crop to bloom in November. He was somewhat shocked to find the Flanders Fields poppy seeds he ordered did not all prove to be the same cultivar.

“There were a few different varieties mixed in with the packet, but they all have that beautiful red colour, each one a poppy in its own way.”

They won’t live all that long, particularly once moved out of the greenhouse, but he hopes they will survive in the atrium until Nov. 11.