It's easy to get hooked on lupine. These perennials rise to the occasion every spring.
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire in late spring, the fields of lupine spread as far as the eye can see. The hills seem to reach for the sky with majestic spires of purple, lavender, pink and white. The scene must have inspired poet Robert Frost, who lived there for many years. Today, visitors come from all over the country to witness this blooming event.
Lupines grow in Zones 3 to 6. They like well-drained acidic soil and grow best in full sun to part shade. There are hundreds of different varieties available in a rainbow of colors.
One of the best spots for experiencing the lupine in its glory is Barabara Sarafina's eight-acre blooming field. It's entirely self-seeding. Twenty-five years ago there were hardly any lupine here. These towering flowers give height to any garden bed or border and they can fill an entire meadow.
They make elegant cut flowers and look beautiful in bouquets, especially with the flowers that they bloom in conjunction with--peonies, poppies, roses, irises and Siberian irises.
When planting, you may want to combine many of those same flowers with lupine. You can also add hosta for contrasting color and texture. If you want to grow your own, you can start them indoors from seed about six weeks before your last frost. Simply soak the seed overnight so the hard hull of the seed will be soft enough to plant. Press the seed into the soil, and water them in. When the seedlings are three to six inches tall, they're ready to be transplanted in your garden.
If you already have lupine growing in your garden, and you'd like to transplant them, it's very easy. Some people are intimidated by trying to transplant them because they've heard it's hard to do. Success depends upon the time you transplant. Don't transplant the plants when they're in full flower. If you want to movet some--perhaps because they're a different color--put a tie around the stakes while the plants are in bloom. When the plant goes to seed, that's a safe time to transplant. But the best time is in early spring, when the plants are up six to eight inches; then, it's virtually foolproof. Dig a hole, dig up the plant and water them in.
Caution: Lupine can be toxic, so if you have children or pets who might take a bite, you probably should avoid them.
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