The Colourful Beauty of Lupins
For early June flowers, nothing is more perfect than the lupin hybrids. With deadheading in June, a second flush of flowers in late July or August can bloom, although the spikes will be smaller. Lupin, or lupine, comes from the latin “lupinus,” meaning wolf.
From being despised to becoming a celebrated star, the lupin was there waiting to be seen for what it truly is: a generous flower that nourishes the soil wherever it grows and lifts our spirits whenever we encounter them.
It was believed that these flowers would run wild and destroy the land. The opposite turned out to be true, as their root systems contain a beneficial bacterium that fixes nitrogen into the soil. Lupins, like other legumes, have been used as a "green manure" to restore dry soil in overworked fields.
The large, hard-shelled lupin seeds are so tough that seeds from an arctic variety have been retrieved from northern permafrost and 10,000-year-old specimens were actually germinated in the lab. Now that's a hardy perennial!
All the traditional European lupins were annuals, and the first big turning point of our garden lupins came with the arrival of a new perennial variety from North America in the early 17th century, with improved varieties in the 1800’s, which were taller, stronger and filled with blooms. Lupins are now available in breathtaking colours and varying sizes.
Like a botanical Cinderella, it only took 300 years for the lupin to make it to the gardening ball.
Nothing compares with the beauty of a handcrafted quilt, so make sure you visit the Lupin Quilt and Craft Fair to see quilting and hooking demonstrations, admire lupins on display and take home a souvenir.
The Colourful Beauty of Lupins
For early June flowers, nothing is more perfect than the lupin hybrids. With deadheading in June, a second flush of flowers in late July or August can bloom, although the spikes will be smaller. Lupin, or lupine, comes from the latin “lupinus,” meaning wolf.
From being despised to becoming a celebrated star, the lupin was there waiting to be seen for what it truly is: a generous flower that nourishes the soil wherever it grows and lifts our spirits whenever we encounter them.
It was believed that these flowers would run wild and destroy the land. The opposite turned out to be true, as their root systems contain a beneficial bacterium that fixes nitrogen into the soil. Lupins, like other legumes, have been used as a "green manure" to restore dry soil in overworked fields.
The large, hard-shelled lupin seeds are so tough that seeds from an arctic variety have been retrieved from northern permafrost and 10,000-year-old specimens were actually germinated in the lab. Now that's a hardy perennial!
All the traditional European lupins were annuals, and the first big turning point of our garden lupins came with the arrival of a new perennial variety from North America in the early 17th century, with improved varieties in the 1800’s, which were taller, stronger and filled with blooms. Lupins are now available in breathtaking colours and varying sizes.
Like a botanical Cinderella, it only took 300 years for the lupin to make it to the gardening ball.
Nothing compares with the beauty of a handcrafted quilt, so make sure you visit the Lupin Quilt and Craft Fair to see quilting and hooking demonstrations, admire lupins on display and take home a souvenir.