The variety of nature ...
By garden_fairy
4 comments
One of the things I love about gardening is that it is a means of observing nature at work … a tiny seed that grows into a full grown plant!
So I like growing things from seed even though I don’t have the proper contraptions like fancy shed and greenhouse or cold frames etc etc etc. Very often my seedlings start in a little basic propagator behind the spare bedroom window which is South facing.
My future father-in-law had some nice lupins so I asked him for some seeds ….
And so last year I planted a few seeds … out of the 12 about 10 germinated which I then moved to the small-sectioned trays. Unfortunately, then there was the very hot few weeks in April and while we were away visiting the in-laws (ironically) all but 2 of my seedling shrivelled and died in the heat!
The difference in size of the two remaining plants was quite striking at the time – one had larger leaves, a deep green and grew pretty fast. The other was slow growing, the leaves always looking a slightly paler green and half the size. Yet they had both had exactly the same conditions all along.
And so eventually both where potted up a couple of times and left at that – I decided not to put them in the ground till the following Spring. They both flowered even in the smallish containers and they both had pink lupin flowers but again one had 3 flowers while the smaller brother had only 1.
This year they went in the ground in March (with a generous spreading of slug pellets LOL). And they remain unmatched in size. I thought maybe once they go in the ground one will catch up with the other – not so. In fact, the difference has become even more striking.
Bigger lupin now has 4 flower buds growing, while smaller lupin has none yet. Further, bigger lupin has given me 6 new plant cuttings before going in the ground, while the 4 cuttings from the smaller lupin have not taken at all.
The first 2 pictures are from October last year (yes they flowered very late), when both lupin plants were in the pots. The last picture was taken this morning.
23 May, 2012
7 likes
Previous post: Unusual Poeny
Next post: The unusual peony ... the end (?)
Comments
I'm starting to think that most of the soil in our garden is clay. So they may well not thrive. I guess I have to wait and see. That spot where to lupins are however, is covered in a membrane and mulch. The membrane and mulch were laid down by the previous owner, but they seem to keep that patch much moister that the other areas of that bed which are not covered.
23 May, 2012
very good...G fairy
23 May, 2012
Well done on growing your Lupins. The flowers are very pretty with you. Pitty about the ones that died.
I've got two enormous ones and I've been taking many of the leaves off, because they are choking all around them.
23 May, 2012
Recent posts by garden_fairy
- When the sun was shining .....
14 Jun, 2012
- The unusual poeny ... anti-climax
27 May, 2012
- The unusual peony ... the end (?)
25 May, 2012
- Unusual Poeny
22 May, 2012
Members who like this blog
-
Gardening with friends since
9 Aug, 2009 -
Gardening with friends since
27 Oct, 2009 -
Gardening with friends since
10 Sep, 2010 -
Gardening with friends since
2 Nov, 2009 -
Gardening with friends since
6 Jun, 2010 -
Gardening with friends since
16 Mar, 2009 -
Gardening with friends since
17 Aug, 2011
Lupin thrive in cool, moist locations and prefer full sun to light shade and average soils, but will tolerate sandy, dry soil, they do not like clay.
Take heart both your plants looks healthy in the ground and the smaller one will eventually come into its own - perhaps next year. But it does look a dry spot to me so perhaps a good soaking?
23 May, 2012