Monday, 13 September 2010

Nasturtiums


I used not to like nasturtiums much because I thought they were too garish in their vivid oranges, reds and yellows.   However, now I like them.  A lot.

They quickly fill patches of bare earth between bigger plants, they cascade down rockeries, and they happily thrive in scorching sunshine.  Moreover, nasturtiums are very low maintenance, requiring little in the way of fertiliser and water.  The seeds are large and germinate quickly, which makes growing nasturtiums a great project for little people.

Even better, just about every part of a nasturtium is edible.  The leaves and flowers can go in salads, and the seed pods can be pickled like capers - or so I'm told, I haven't tried this.

Now that the nasturtiums I planted during winter are starting to flower, it feels like spring is really here!

2 comments:

StrivingSimply said...

I planted nasturtiums this past year because I wanted to try edible flowers. My fiance was skeptical, but it was my garden, so he didn't have a say. It turns out that he loves them (and will be planting them next year) and I thought they were just alright. Apparently his favorite way to eat them is slightly wilted in a pan on the stove.

Tracy said...

I'm still in the dislike stage of life with nasturtiums...and I can't come at eating flowers. There's just something I can't get my head around when it comes to that.