while i love my lupine, i'm rather tired of it looking like something the cat dragged in after it has finished blooming. i have had this plant for 7 or 8 years, and would like to replace it with something that doesn't look so bad after it has bloomed. it would be in an area that gets quite a bit of sun for most of the day. any suggestions? any input would be helpful....thanks
The lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) is one. They hold their own through out most of the summer and you can harvest the blooms? I have both lavender and lupines planted in the same area. The different Echinacea (cone flowers) are also great. They come in a wide variety of forms and colors now, but I like the old fashion ones best. Also their blooms last very long time. I am sure there are a lot of other perennials out there others will recommend also.
You mention that the area "gets quite a bit of sun for most of the day" Would that be full sun for 6+ hours or less sun/fewer hours?. If the Lupines are growing in partial sun then you will have to look for a replacement plant that does well in less than full sun.
If you like the lupine and want to keep it , plant a few annuals around it to cover up the ugly foliage. You also can keep something annual in a pot until you need it to transplant to the area.
(1)--Perhaps you could fill the entire plot with different colours of Phlox--It would look like a gigantic bouquet! (2)--A stand of Monardas. (3)--Heleniums (4)--I like Jewell's suggestion of Echinacea. There are some interesting colours--from white to pink to orange and also there are some exotic doubles. Good luck, Annette.
thanks, everyone....i like the coneflower idea....will have until next spring to contemplate....can't wait for the seed & flower books to start arriving!!!
If you have had a lupine growing for 6-7 years, that's pretty good. I would kill to have one! I think they tend to be short-lived. I would have a hard time dumping it (but that is me). I would plant some annuals around it to disguise the foliage as Carolyn suggested. But....whatever you do I am sure it will be fine...
i have a few more lupines along the outside fence (grown from seed), so i really won't miss the one in the garden too much......they don't transplant very well, i have to try though, i would hate just to toss it.
Annette-- I am impressed you grew them from seed. I have never succeeded with lupines, and I have tried. BTW I see you are from Buffalo. I was born there and lived there until 6 years old. I remember the snow piles in the winter. I remember they were so high that as I walked down the road to the bus stop, I couldn't see over them to see the houses....of course I was quite short at the time!
I would go with the Coneflowers too, not only many colors but many different mature heights and they are very hardy. Lupines have a very deep tap root so they don't usually live after being transplanted. Surround it with the Coneflowers, especially the tall ones and they should hide that dying foliage of the Lupines and you won't have to try to move it.
If you want to go with coneflowers now is the perfect time to visit a nursey or two to see the varieties that are available. It will make your seed searching more interesting. I saw some incredible doubles that look like mums and some with a spider look. The colors are everywhere from the whites, reds, yellows and oranges as well as the usual pinks. What a variety!
