Back to Flowers!..........

..............Saw these lovely lupins and thought you might like to see them too!. (Lupins seem to be about 2 weeks later here this year)
The lupin as we know it would never have come about but for one man - George Russell. This retired gardener from York began breeding them at the age of 54, using two allotments, and finally staged his first exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1938 aged 79. He died at the grand old age of 94 in 1951 - probably still wearing his gardening boots! -having become a legend in his own lifetime. Every packet of Russell Lupin seed bore a picture of a twinkly-eyed old man in a grandad shirt - Russell himself - and this tradition carried on for many years.
Russell, who was a jobbing gardener, was inspired to start breeding lupins by a vase of rather weedy specimens arranged by a Mrs Micklethwaite - one of his employers. On seeing them, he was convinced he could do better and started a 20-year project to breed a new strain.
They are best grown from seed and you can never be sure exactly what colour will pop up - or you can buy established plants ensuring that you get the colour you want and propogate by division - BUT NOT IN THE AUTUMN - do it in Spring!
I had a couple of plants but for some reason they rotted away but seeing these, I'm tempted to try again - I do have the right sort of soil - lightish and draining well.

Just spotted a ladybird!

Another cloudy start to the day - a hint of brightness behind the clouds - temperature around the 50 deg F at the moment.

Try larger - lower case "L".

Have a happy day.