Lupins are beautiful flowering early-summer plants that can be grown from seed or bought. This one (pictured left) I grew from seed quite a number of years ago and it comes up every year and has very striking flowers.
With most plants, there are good years and bad years in terms of growing conditions, climate and pests. Last year I had lots of caterpillars. This year (and every year) I have lots of slugs and snails that nibble and eat young growth. I am constantly pest hunting but sometimes they do win a battle or two!
Below - a lost battle - this is one of my lupin plants that has been devoured as a four course meal by multiple slugs and snails over a number of days.
Oh well, we win some and lose some!
Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.
The blue Lupins are always most beautiful. I love them in the garden but this year I lost so many slug battles, most Lupins look as your last picture.
ReplyDeleteThe slimy pests are a real problem this year. They have even created lacy gunners.
ReplyDeleteLupins are really beautiful! It's not easy to fight with the pest! I have snail problem too in my garden!
ReplyDeleteI tried putting a glass of beer in the garden to catch slugs.....didn't get many of them! It sounds like Lupine likes your climate. Several perennial books have warned me away from them because they are "fussy" and require a lot of care so I haven't tried them although I love the way they look.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a shame, those slugs have a lot to answer for. At least they've left your beautiful blue ones alone for you to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI have one lonely lupine and wish for more. In my previous garden it thrived. Here I have a hard time getting some plants started. No slugs so far.
ReplyDeleteOh poor lupin. They murdered it. I hear everywhere that people have big slug problems this year. When I see this a few holes from hail and crickets seem like nothing.
ReplyDeleteI love lupines! Yours are beautiful. Sorry the slugs thought they were tasty.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what my dill looks like, but since it was eaten by swallowtail caterpillars, I just looked the other way. I find lupines to be gorgeous, but I just can't grow them here, not sure why. Lucky you!
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