Lupins!

Discussion in 'NEW Gardeners !' started by StudentGardener, Oct 29, 2014.

  1. StudentGardener

    StudentGardener Apprentice Gardener

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    Hello! :) I've made a raised bed and am planning to put some flowers in it. We were considering lupins as I personally think they are beautiful and nostalgic for me. Our only issue is that we have a 4 year old who likes to explore the garden. So, we are curious - how poisonous are lupins? Some websites state they are mildly poisonous whereas others are on the contrary.

    Can anyone give advice?

    Best regards
     
  2. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    Welcome to Gardeners Corner :sign0016:

    Depression of respiratory and circulatory systems, dangerous to children and livestock, not marked as fatal in my book.

    Grew my first Lupins at about 7 years old, i'm still here :biggrin:
     
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    • StudentGardener

      StudentGardener Apprentice Gardener

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      Thank you, we've said "to heck" with not putting in Lupins. We've gone for "Manhattan Lights", "Gallery Pink" and "Tequila Flame"!
       
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      • clueless1

        clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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        Also grow nasturtiums. Apart from being pretty, your 4 year old will be able to sow them, as they have nice big seeds that germinate very easily. But there's an extra reason I recommend them. All parts of the plant are edible, but to young taste buds taste horrible (strong peppery flavour), making them perfect for letting young kids do that thing where they taste test everything, and then having taste tested nasturtium, they start to learn that its probably not a good idea to eat just anything, but no harm comes to them as a result of this lesson:)
         
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        • Scrungee

          Scrungee Well known for it

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          I like to use them for cut flowers, but slugs also love them.
           
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          • StudentGardener

            StudentGardener Apprentice Gardener

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            That's fabulous because we've got some nasturtium seeds in our conservatory!
             
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            • StudentGardener

              StudentGardener Apprentice Gardener

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              Yeah, that came to me as a child when my mum would make me pick them off!
               
            • clueless1

              clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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              Perfect if you have a conservatory. Nasturtiums are a bit tender, very tender when young, so normally you can't start them until at least the back end of April (to plant outside towards the back end of May), but with a conservatory you could start them maybe a month earlier. Don't go too much earlier though, as once they start they grow rapidly and will soon outgrow their pots, so you might want to start them in slightly larger pots if you plan to start them early and keep them in for a while.
               
            • StudentGardener

              StudentGardener Apprentice Gardener

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              Thanks for the advice :) I knew that the leaves were edible but nothing about the other parts of the plant!
               
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              • StudentGardener

                StudentGardener Apprentice Gardener

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