Posts Tagged ‘ditch flowers’
garden escapes: lupins
In late June and early July, the ditches of some roads in New Brunswick are filled with colour as lupins become the dominant flower.
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Lupins are legumes and enrich the soil with nitrogen. In spite of this, there is an old tale that lupins impoverish the soil, hence the name derived from ‘lupe,’ the word for wolf.
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Lupins make pretty bouquets but, in my experience, have an unpleasant, peppery smell that keeps me from ever bringing them into the house.
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Lupin has been grown as an ornamental and, in earlier times, as a food source. They are great escape artists and spread easily into the countryside. Some species are considered invasive in Europe, New Zealand and places in North America.
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Lupins do not occur along all roads, but when they do, they may have originated in the gardens of early communities. For example, lupins line the ditches of the road to Giants Glen, north of Stanley, New Brunswick. Giants Glen was settled by the Irish in 1850.
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The Giants of the Glen
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lupins escape The Glen
scramble to roadsides
fix nitrogen
repair poor soil
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fingered leaves like hands
collect the river wind
lean together
work as one
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stand tall in spikes
pink, purple and blue
grey as summer wears
rattles their seeds
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This work was made possible by a Creations Grant from artsnb!
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All my best!
Stay safe.
Jane
nichepoetryandprose 