Hmm, mine are in heavy clay, but the moles work their tunnels through, maybe they are working on the drainage. Ours are just getting some good growth, no flower stalks yet. I'm finding seedlings in very odd places. I wonder if the birds are moving them around.

This might have contributed to my belief the soil here wont support Lupines.
I ordered Gallery Blue 2 years ago.They looked fantastic that year. At the same time a gardener sent me some lupine pods to scatter on the ground.
I think the Blues were steril and what I have now is the babies from the scattered seeds.
Believe me I would LOVE to plant more.
I am going to a plant place thursday and will try again.
I am picky about color but might have to bite the bullet and just plant whatever I find.

Newyorkrita said:I saw these gorgeous things at a local nursery today. Not one of my usual stops so that might be why I have not seen them before. They all have White Flower Farm labels as the grower.

It has been years since I had Lupines in my garden but I couldn't pass these up. They have such beautiful colors. I bought POPSICKLE RED but they had lots of colors and they all started with the word Popsickle.

The Description said these are dense and stocky with flowers tightly packed along thick upright stems. 13-16 inches tall. Flowers from June until mid July. Of course, they are starting to flower now.

You just had to see the colors, the colors were so vivid and striking. Guess you figgured out I really liked the striking colors LOL!!!!

I knew when I saw them I had just the perfect spot. I bought two and they are already planted. Will post pics later.

Hello Rita, I'm not knowledgable enough how ATP operates with old threads, so perhaps this may no me the correct way. I started lupines which I simply cannot resist. They grow wild in near by forest clearing in the cooler part and nearer the mountains. However a few plants of the Russell hybrids have survived so I collected seeds and managed to germinate them. They are now at a five leaflet stage. Looking at your pictures I wondered what was size of the container where you purchased because that can give me a reference to which size they can be grown in containers, ley them flower first ( so I recognize their color) and only after plant them in their final place. My next chore would be place them in large plastic containers and keep them for the full season in a partly shaded corner of my work yard Thank you in advance. Arturo

Just got seed last week. Given the posts above...now I am wondering whether they will do OK here. Hot/humid summers...and I live in a heat island. We will see. Do I plant in fall and let seed overwinter planted?

Cold treatment does seem to help germination. I direct sowed in late winter and saw good germination.

Hi ,
I'm Deb , Morninglory12 ..from Nassau county also, good to see a fellow NYer . Where did you buy lupines already grown ? I try from seed but they are finicky..
Deb

Morninglory12 said:Hi ,
I'm Deb , Morninglory12 ..from Nassau county also, good to see a fellow NYer . Where did you buy lupines already grown ? I try from seed but they are finicky..
Deb

I used to buy lupines as plants at big local Nurseries here. But every summer no matter what they died. So after trying for years I gave up on the Lupines.

@Newyorkrita What nursery did you buy these beautiful lupine from?

keithp2012 said:@Newyorkrita What nursery did you buy these beautiful lupine from?

Don't remember as it was years ago now. It was on 25A and probably out in Suffolk.

Realize this is an old thread but would add i've had no luck keeping Lupines for over one season. I did buy a Westcountry Masterpiece this year couldn't resist the blooms. Will see how it works out but i'm not counting on it.

I tried growing from seed four years in a row. Nothing. Gave up on them. Would love to see them but it may just be too hot here.

Grow Jack Russel lupines from seed. Started in greenhouse then put out past the last frost date in my zone 8.
These are almost 4-5' tall in some areas of the garden.

Bea they look great. Mine have died back already and i doubt they'll be back.

@jpm995 … Sometimes if lupines are left to set seed then save them to grow from seed next season. Sometimes they have grown from seed in the flower beds and they seem to need to cold over winter to sprout for spring.

These tall Jack Russel hybrids attract pollinators like crazy and attract pollinators out in the garden early in the season. The bumblebees love to sleep in the flowers that pop open and closes as they enter in search of pollen just like a stairway up the flower spikes and they find comfey spot for the night. Bumblebees are comical popping in and out of the tall flower spikes loaded down with pollen they eventually hardly fit into to the opening of the individual pea sized sections with wings that open and close move like little hinges for the bees.