Growing Lupins

A cottage garden favourite for a sunny border - purple lupins looking great here with Alchemilla mollis. Related to peas and beans, lupins along with other legume producing plants are part of the Fabaceae family. Border lupins typically grow to about 1.5m in height with stunning, colourful flowers from late spring through to mid-summer - I love them. They prefer well-drained but moist soil, with a tolerance of a wider range of conditions so should be happy enough in sandier soils too. In the border they're best positioned in a spot with some shelter from the wind as this could damage the tall flower spikes. Deadhead them when flowers are finishing before they set seed, to encourage the production of new flower heads. You may need to provide protection from slugs and snails and keep an eye out for aphids especially on young new growth. When watering plants try not to wet the leaves and direct the water at the base - best practice when watering anyway. This along with correct spacing to encourage air flow around plants to reduce humidity will help protect from powdery mildew to which they are susceptible. I remove any affected growth from the plant during the growing season. Sometimes this can make plants look a bit tatty, so in October I cut them down almost completely to the ground Lupins are relatively short lived so it's best to think ahead and plan replacements or increase your stock by taking basal cuttings in the early spring as plants start to come back to life. The strike rate should be good!