lupin troubles

I have had lupins for three years now and this year they are not only not blooming but look yellow and very unhappy. They are growing next to and almost underneath a large forsythia, but they had enough light last year and the year before to bloom. I don't understand what is happening...

any thoughts?

Laurie

If you have somewhat the same type of spring that we, on the Maine coast, have had, weather may be your problem. Too much chilly rain following an early spring. My husband starts his Luines from seed, and he put in his lovely seedlings only to see that terrible rain hit us for so long. The Lupines are blooming now, but his seedlings look pretty sad. A little sun and TLC may be all you need. I have also found that one year the Lupines look spectacular, the next year they don't. Last year the gardens and fields were awash with breathtaking bloom. This year, ho-hum. I do hope this has been of some help. Good luck.

Thanks for the thoughts.

It was hot and dry at first and now cold and wet. Lupins aren't the only things that don't like it.

We had a huge field of them, in the front, for years. All of a sudden they go downhill and disappear. We did over a huge part of that garden and my DH planted 400 last fall and another 49 that I found near the chipper/compost area.

It may be why they are referred to as "short lived perennials" although we have some, in the same exact spot, for many years, in other gardens.

Last year my Lupins were beautiful. This year they are hardly there. I do beleive as well that the rain and cold Spring we had didn't do much for them.

Ours did fine so maybe you had more rain than we did. They like (must have around here) excellent drainage. We plant them on a little mound - not as big as irises but it's almost required/mandatory for them.

Mine too were nice last year - I had 6 bushy plants with lots of flowers. This year, only one puny one showed up and struggled!

What a shame to miss those beauties. We had lots of purple, lost the violet, only one yellow and only one pink with yellow. We have over 400 going for next year. Let us pray.

good morning,

i just need to mention this about lupines.

they are for us on the east coast really a plant of contradiction. while they love the heat, they HATE humidity. i'm always surprised to see one or two survive in my gardens.

also remember that many and most pernnials have the life expectancy of only 2-3 years. so it's not really surprising that for a few years they will do really well and then the following year they are gone. it's what make perennial gardening so "interesting". of course there are other types of perennials that do last for years, but you never know which they will be for your garden until it happens. we tell people....it really takes a good 7 years to establish a perennial garden for your area.

i can only suggest that you try it again. some different cultivar may work better for your garden.
good luck!

This message was edited Jun 23, 2006 8:02 AM

My returning lupines were skimpy and the flower stalks twisted. The babies that I planted last year and bloomed later (now) look healthier but are still small.

dave,

i think a lot of this is we had no spring this year....actually no summer as yet. most plants performance are dull and behind. i'm hearing that all around our area. contending with critters (i think every chewer is out this year) and no rain, too much rain....who knows?

my gardens are so far behind because the lack of sun. however, my lupines that made it were huge and beautiful although, i had about 4 plants and only one was left this year.

I got my red lupine last year, it did well for just being planted. This year it is huge, even after I dug a piece up and sent it to pirl it still did really well. Here is a picture taken a week ago.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2409932

Wonderful! Fantastic clump. Ought to be on a magazine cover!

Some of ours are very old and others perish. Other than the tempermental delphiniums and some lupines very few perennials have ever died on us.

right you are pirl...i was going to mention the delphiniums. now last year they bloomed all summer. this year i lost every single deep blue i had. the purples made it but are not blooming like past years.

i know they only last a few years...it's like just as your getting used to enjoying them....there gone!

I've decided to love larkspur. I know they aren't as lovely (to my eyes) but they love to grow here so I'm just transferring my love of delphiniums to the larkspur and learning to be grateful that at least they are happy to be here.

So many of us gardeners seem to spend time wishing for the elusive Meconopsis or whatever we can't grow that once in a while I feel free enough to just give up and give in.

well i like trying new things to see if they work in different places. we have a plantscaping business where we integrate tropical design into northern landscapes and we also do horticulture therapy (not this year, because TG we got enough volunteers). so i'm use to trying and failing over and over and over again! i have always loved larkspur anyway!

larkspur are beautiful and there are all different colors available. i have never had any lupines die. actually they seem to seed all over, even in cracks in the sidewalk. maybe you are babying them too much. all i do for my lupines is not mow them. no fertilizer, no mulch, i don't even water them. i threw seeds in my sister field and now they are growing all over.

I don't think I am babying them, but maybe I am. We have great soil and everything usually grows so well, I'm not used to doing much work. I have given them a lot of compost since they have been looking poorly. The worst is when I drive to town and see gardens in what must be the same soil as ours that are just bursting out. I'm thinking about a new location.

How well do Larkspur self seed?