Nasturtiums – a flower and a food

No garden is complete without a Nasturtium plant growing somewhere, thats why I planted some the other day…

This fast growing annual originates from Peru and has fascinated gardeners with its long stemmed large green umbrella shaped leaves for many generations. For those who are getting their kids involved in gardening, the Nasturtium is a great plant to grow as the seeds are large enough for small hands to plant. They are also great for young children as they are completely edible!

Expect bright orange, red or yellow flowers, some with semi-double or double blooms. There are also some verrgiated foliage varieties that will add to the interest of the garden.

Prepare soil in a sunny position to be friable and free draining, Nasturtiums will handle most soil conditions but having too much nitrogen will give huge leaf growth at the expense of flowers. Plant them in the spring time for cool climates, or from spring to autumn in warmer climates (like mine!).

They need total darkness to germinate so plant them deep, at least 12mm down (that’s half an inch in the old measure), so they are completely covered.

Expect them to poke their heads out after two weeks, and get ready for flowers about 10 weeks after sowing (that’s eight weeks after they pop up). Enjoy their lush foliage and bright flowers!

Here are a couple of videos to get you excited about growing Nasturtiums