The latest on lupins

Popular with show-garden designers, lupins can be overpowering in a border. But don’t be deterred – it’s all about choosing and using them well, says Graham Rice

- Graham Rice

IF you’ve visited Chelsea Flower Show in the past few years, you cannot have failed to notice lupins everywhere. Which is hardly surprising: visitors like them because they’re so colourful, while designers appreciate those bold vertical accents.

Lupins certainly make their mark. But some people think that while they’re fine for show gardens, lupins are… well, just too colourful to have in our own gardens. To this, I say two things: first, a well-grown lupin in the right place can be an absolute wonder; and second, if you don’t like big and bold perennial lupins, don’t be put off, as there are plenty of options with a softer look.

Hardy perennial lupins are one of the few flowers to come in every colour of the rainbow, as well as an array of bright bicolours. They’re also fragrant and the bees love them. With their fingered foliage making an attractive mound both before and after flowering, in early summer the fat spikes of flowers surge skywards through the leaves, rather like rainbow rockets.

However, placing them in the garden requires some thought. At one extreme, gardens such as Chatsworth in Derbyshire grow the different colours together to create a dazzling display. It’s a bold approach, but one that can be rather overwhelming in a small space.

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