@rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 maybe it was the hot may that's done it. I've never had this unmanageable amount of aphids. Not even the natural predators and my hose is keeping them under control. The ants have already started farming them on my borage patch. I was always told that there's not much point killing off ant nests, because they're territorial - if you get rid of 1, you'll get 2 more spring up at opposite ends of the range of the first one. They make a nice green woodpecker snack though...
@JennyJ I thought verbascum are annuals/not hardy perennials, but I'll take a look, I did just assume that they were only the yellow stick type...
Verbascul phoenicum is a short-lived perennial which come in shades from white thru pink to deep pink and purple with an eye on the flowers. It is much shorter than its mullein cousins and the foliage is smaller and dark green. Self seeds readily but is easy to control. I grow that too with no aphid bovver.
I was really thinking of the hybrid verbascums, which I think have some of V. chiaxii in them. Phoenicium is nice too though - I like Violetta which is a good purple, and self-sows a bit.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Veronica spicata might be worth a look too. The flower spikes are a lot smaller than lupins but there are lots of them, and they come in blues, pinks and purples. Purple toadflax (Linaria purpurea) also has thin spikes but is an easy good-natured filler and never seems to be bothered by pests (and bees love it)
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
@Obelixx wow, the RHS page for Verbascul phoenicum doesn't do it justice compared to the photos on Google. I really like that, will look into it more.
@JennyJ the Veronica spicata looks nice, but for a different part of the garden, I think it stays a bit small to fill the lupin hole in the middle of my border.
I like Linaria purpurea, but it looks a lot like larkspur to me, I need something with chunky foliage to cover the space. I think it will be clearer when I get a min to post a photo of the gap...
Thanks for everyone's suggestions, much appreciated, please keep them coming!
I have the same problem as the OP, and i was wondering too of alternatives, that looked as good, were as vigorous, and a similar height to Lupins. And finally as attractive to the bees as Lupins are
Posts
@JennyJ I thought verbascum are annuals/not hardy perennials, but I'll take a look, I did just assume that they were only the yellow stick type...
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/18803/Verbascum-phoeniceum/Details
@JennyJ the Veronica spicata looks nice, but for a different part of the garden, I think it stays a bit small to fill the lupin hole in the middle of my border.
I like Linaria purpurea, but it looks a lot like larkspur to me, I need something with chunky foliage to cover the space. I think it will be clearer when I get a min to post a photo of the gap...
Thanks for everyone's suggestions, much appreciated, please keep them coming!