If you would like to, you can wait until the plants form seeds, collect them and start all over again next year. Or you could cut the ugly plants down to the basal foliage just to neaten it up but you won't get seed that way.

I collect the seed from a few lupine in my garden but I don't have a lot of them. Not sure if they will come back next year if you cut them back. Maybe someone who grows a lot of them and has done that would have more information?

Thanks prariemoon - unfortunately, most of the plans had already gone to seed, and a lot of those seed pods are now gone; I'm assuming aphid victims.

I'm thinking I will cut back the dead and bare stems and see what happens. There are still some seed pods left, so hopefully they will make it through the rest of the summer.

Interesting. I still have green pods of seeds on my lupine, that haven't ripened to collect yet and I am ahead of you here in zone 6. I think if there are no seed pods on some stems might as well cut them back. If the seed pods you have reach maturity, you can allow the seeds to disperse where they are and they will come up on their own next year. Or you can collect them to sow them in pots in the spring or winter sow them and then you can add them to another location in the garden.

Okay okay - that was my newbie gardener talking lol - when I said 'gone to seed' I meant, the green seed pods had formed...but yes, they haven't ripened yet. :) I've definitely lost a good bit of them.

I will wait and see if those reach maturity and then see how things go from there...thank you!

A strong stream of water followed by a spray of a small amount of dish soap mixed in a gallon of water will get rid of the vast majority of aphids.

Ahhh that sounds like something to try...will it prevent them from coming back or do I just need to be vigilant? Sorry, this is my first time dealing with them on such a mass scale!

Be vigilant, but they may not return.