Lupins are a gorgeous plant and a fine addition to any garden. But, they do grow to be quite large, so finding the perfect spot for them is highly advised. So with that in mind, where should you plant lupins?
Planting Conditions
Lupins aren’t particularly fussy plants. They can deal with most soil conditions, as long as your soil isn’t waterlogged they will be happy enough.
When it comes to light lupins thrive in full sunlight, they will grow just as well in dappled shade also. If you start to move away from dappled shade into the darker areas of your garden then lupins will not be so happy. You can find out more about lupins and sun in my do lupins like sun or shade article.
They may still grow and flower in shadier spots but the plants will never reach the same size or produce the same amount of flowers as lupins that are grown in full sun.
Garden Design
So once we know what spots are suitable for lupins all of our attention turns to garden design and where the lupins will look best.
Lupins are a common border plant and can work well in the middle of larger borders or at the back of smaller ones. They can also be grown solo in narrow borders, they are very versatile.
They will grow quite tall when fully established which is why you don’t want to grow them at the front of borders if you plan on having other plants in there too.
As you can see above they will happily fix into hectic borders or can be grown alone and they will look brilliant either way.
More on Lupins
Lupins are a beautiful flower that you will find in many British gardens. Lupins are a staple of British cottage gardens, famed for both their height and colour. Originally hailing from the Mediterranean they are a perennial that will greet you with a gorgeous display year after year.
They produce a large flowering spike that is full of colour and each plant can have lots of these spikes leading to a fabulous display. They will begin to flower around may and can last well into June. The flowers do go to seed quite quickly but your lupin will continue to produce more and more new spikes.
To get the best out of these spikes though it is essential to deadhead the old spikes to give the new ones a chance to flourish. Also cutting your lupins back in autumn can help them the following spring. The seeds are edible but if not treated properly first they can be poisonous to animals and humans. Greenfly can be a common problem for lupins here in the UK.