Lupins. Where have they all gone?

Hi Lakota,
Some years are bad and some are good but what I think is important, is having good seed of the right variety from a reliable supplier. I always buy my favourite varieties from Thompson & Morgan. I think they have an Internet ordering system covering USA. Not the cheapest but I think they are the best and I have been a customer for almost 50 Years! I bought the lupin seeds from them and they flowered the first year.

ok I will have to look them up.
I just get my things from Lowes for they say they are guaranteed but havent took anything back yet lol

Hi thinkingoutloud, Nice to hear from you. Strange that you mention dahlias. I used to grow some beauties up until I moved house in 1991. Have never tried them since.
I like lupins as individual plants but several in a bed with one to two yards between them. I have only three different colours so will maybe buy some seed again next year.

I'm really going to have to consider lupins for next year... since I gave up my biggest annual flower bed to go back to veggies this year (with the economy and such, it seems sensible to be using the space for something consumable, you know?), I'll probably be adding a couple of beds for flowers next year. When I lived in the country, I favored cosmos, black-eyed susans and such... lupins, in my mind, would fit in nicely.

Did you ever grow the dinner plate dahlias? I've seen pictures of them and they sure are beautiful but I've never known anyone to actually grow them.

I have never tried the dinner plate dahlias but did have some really big blooms in 1989 that attracted the whole village. I bought the tubers in UK. Never had good results with what is available here.
If you go for lupins next year check out the Thompson & Morgan on line seed catalogue. They have mini varieties that will flower the first year.

Oh excellent! Thanks so much for the recommendation... I'll be sure to have a look at that! How did you know I can sometimes be an impatient gardener? It's one of the reasons I've hesitated to grow fruit/berry bushes - they don't tend to bear in the first year, sometimes not until after two, and I'd be overly anxious I'm sure! Lupins that flower in the first year would be very satisfying to see.

They have a mixture that will flower in three and a half months but a specific red type called "Morello Cherry" is claimed to be even quicker. Good luck.