Over the years, I've had several people on this forum ask about lupine and be amazed that I can grow them here - usually they are supposed to thrive in the Pacific northwest. I have also had people tease me about when I am going to share these "wonderful" seeds.

I have had a self-sowing bed of them for at least 5 years now, and I expect to have some seeds available. They were originally Russell hybrids. They have resown and selected over the years so that they are mostly blue, purple and white, although there may be an occasional pink in there.

I have them in clay soil, some of which is not very well amended. Some of it is moist, some of it gets very dry, they seem to thrive wherever they land. It is a slightly shaded western exposure. I do almost nothing to them, throw a little fertilizer their way occasionally, cut back the foliage after they bloom so they don't look ratty, that's about it.

You can grow the seeds indoors and plant out - you probably won't get flowers until next year, they are perennials. Or you can just plant some seed directly now, which is probably easier if you can keep them watered OK.

If you send me a self-addressed, stamped envelope, I will share until I run out. (Email for my snail mail address.) Enjoy!

If I haven't heard from you yet but you want seeds, you can email me and I put you on a "wait list", then if there are seeds left over I will contact you.

Lots of lupine fans out there! Please post here and let me know how your seedlings turn out, OK?