A Man and his Flowers 
Geroge Russell, of the Lupins, stood at 
the head of that lengthening line of working 
men gardeners who have raised on humble 
plots some of the showiest flowers in culti- 
vation. Behind the magnificent new Del- 
phiniums of to-day are such men; and an 
improved dwarf Chrysanthemum now adorn- 
ing thousands of English gardens came from 
a cottage grower not twenty-five miles from 
the York allotment where the Russell Lupin 
first raised their amazing spires above the 
s pes 
fence to dazzle passers-by. Russell, the 
jobbing gardener, did more than simply 
improve. He filled his long years of re- 
tirement with the splendid achievement of 
creating, like Spencer with the Sweet Peas, 
a new race of flowers which must have put 
more bold gaity into the parks and gardens 
of the world than any other introduction in 
horticultural history. A statesman might 
well envy a man who could be so sure his 
good work would grow on after him. 
Russell never quite knew how he did it. 
At ninety-three, when old age held him to his 
chair, he would sit in his sunny porch and 
admit that his copy of Mendel’s principles 
was still on his bookshelf unread. If his 
plants had indeed Lupinus lexiflorus, L. leu- 
cophyllus, L. nootkatensis and others in their 
ancestry, as the experts solemnly suggested, 
then the old gardener never indicated it by 
so much as a twinkle of the eye. He had 
heard of an annual Lupin in Germany with 
the flower characteristics he desired, he 
sent for seed and raised plants, and when he 
wedded these annuals to the blue perennial, 
his main aids seem to have been intuition 
and the bumble bees. Whatever happened, 
the miracle of the Russell strain with its fat, 
globular “keel” and petals expanded like a 
butterfly’s wings, was accomplished. Russell 
well knew the weakness of his new race, that 
annual strain with the pretty colors, with its 
threat of mortality - and he spent many 
years rigorously selecting and re-selecting 
to try to ensure greater longevity. He never 
fully succeeded, as anyone with long experi- 
ence of these plants knows. 
The commercial future of his Lupins 
was assured when his original stock was 
taken over by a concern whose experts have 
since developed on Russell’s foundations 
George Russell and his 
that range of yellow and orange, strawberry 
red, purple and gold, apricot and sky-blue, 
and other hues which banished for ever the 
old-fashioned blue Lupin with its anaemic 
spike. In the home garden it is a very diff- 
erent matter; there the self-sown Russell 
Lupin seedlings readily spring up on neg- 
lected borders to bear flowers showing all 
the faults of promiscuous crossing. If there 
happen to be a few of the old blues linger- 
ing within bee range, than the ruin may be 
Lupins 
swift and complete, for a nondescript band 
of degenerate foundlings arise to replace 
the splendour of the ageing original plants. 
The bees that helped Russell to create can 
destroy, too, as they employ the shining 
hours muddling the floral colors of suburbia. 
Note: The above appeared in THE TIMES 
on October 1, 1951. 
When and Where to . 
Plant Russell Lupins 
The Russell Lupins can be grown success- 
fully in almost any soils, except those con- 
taining an excess of lime, but the positicn 
should be well drained and they prefer a 
sandy or gravelly loam. A : 
They do not like humus and no kind of 
manure should be used when the bed is 
prepared, nor should it be dressed with lime, 
as they give better results in a slightly acid 
soil. An open sunny position is ideal, but 
they do quite well in slight shade, provided 
they are not placed under, or too near, over- 
hanging trees. 
Lupines are accommodating plants and 
draw a great part of their nourishment 
through the foliage, but if the ground is 
poor it can be given a dressing of bond 
meal at the rate of 4 ounces to the square 
yard, with advantage. 
Spring planting of the roots is probably ad- 
visable in most districts but in light well 
drained soils, they can be planted success- 
fully in the late Autumn. 
The desire for “self colors” in the Russell 
Lupines is hard to fulfill as there is a slight 
variation between standards and bells in 
every Lupin. 
It is thot by some that the colors of the 
173 
Russell Lupins change or revert. This is not 
the case, however, for in growing Lupins 
for many years and in large quantities, I can- 
not recollect a plant sporting or changing 
color, and can only assume the idea has 
spread through the original plant having 
died and a chance seedling of another 
shade came up in the same position. 
It is quite likely that such seedlings may 
be the common blue or other nondescript 
shades, as rarely go far without seeing 
an odd patch of the old fashioned blues and 
if pollen is carried to a bed of the Russells, 
the quality of the seed naturally deteriorates. 
FLOWER CLUBS 
By Walter Welch, Ind. 
Every organization, whether a Garden 
Club or specialized Society, is interested in 
the problem of securing and holding their 
membership. It is of vital importance to 
them in the development of their special 
flowers and in offering better service to their 
membership. How many of you readers 
belong to a Flower Society? If you don’t, 
you are missing a great deal of benefits and 
pleasures. 
My speciality, of course, is the American 
Iris Society and the Dwarf Iris Club. For 
several years I plodded along, growing Iris, 
making my futile crosses, lacking encourage- 
ment, companionship, the thrill of the meet- 
ings and tours, discussions with fellow 
hybridizers and the Bulletins and _ special 
literature on the subject. This is all part of 
a dull, dim past now, for at present I am part 
of these organizations, active in their pro- 
grams, with friends, recognition, knowledge, 
reasonable accomplishments and a _  devot- 
ion to the welfore of my fellow members, 
hitherto unbelievable. All the results of 
association with other members of our Soc- 
iety. 
It has been our experience, as with others, 
that we enroll many members and in a year 
or so several will drop out, with the excuse 
that “I didn’t get much out of the Society’. 
Of course the logical answer here is, ‘Just 
what did you PUT INTO the Society?” 
If you paid your dues and then sat at 
home, for others to come to your garden, 
with no attempt to partake of the many act- 
ivities and benefits afforded by the Society, 
you probably were disappointed, and re- 
ceived only their Bulletins, which alone I 
consider well worth the price of the dues. 
If you belong or contemplate joining any 
Flower Society, you must have some reason 
for joining. Do you wish to emerge from 
your seclusion, to learn what others are 
doing and have achieved, to keep up to 
date on recent developments, to see other’s 
collections and have them visit your plant- 
ings, to know the hybridizers and discuss 
your problems with them, to correspond with 
mutual enthusiasts all over the world, attend 
the meetings, perhaps take part in them, 
secure important friendships or even satisfy 
that desire for personal glory and recog- 
nition. 
Practically anything you wish can be 
accomplished through your EFFORTS, in 
conjunction with the opportunities offered 
by your Society. Most Societies stage an 
Annual Meeting, and this is usually such a 
grand display with Show, Banquet, Speak- 
ers, Special Plantings, Famous Gardens, 
and excellent entertainment that having 
once attended, it is impossible to refrain 
from making it a regular schedule. Then 
there are the Regional Meets, the Fall 
Luncheons, local groups and tours, to fit 
the requirements of most any member. If 
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