Are lupins worthwhile?

MOST gardeners have an affectionate feeling for lupins. They take us back to our childhood. Their warm but peppery smell is nostalgic. Their plump spikes seem to be asking to be patted with the flat of one’s palm. They are popular with bees, are gay, colourful and, together with oriental poppies, are among the first recognisable heralds of high summer.

Furthermore, lupins flower at a useful time for the average gardener, just after he has had to throw out the spring bedding but before the mainstays of summer have