N IS FOR?
NASTURTIUMS! (tropaeolum majus) ~ a real no nonsense plant, which once introduced to allotment or garden, will be an almost never - ending source of not only attractive and long lasting colour but also of nourishment too. The name 'nasturtium' derives from the Latin words for nose - nas and twist - tortum, which is what some noses might well do in response to niffing them ~ not that they emit a nasty odour but they can be noticeably pungent. Nasturtiums are half hardy annuals which self seed themselves vigorously about once you have them, although after a few years mine are now diminishing in numbers. Now for a note to self - remember to include some on next year's seed list. Not only can the flowers be included in a nifty nosegay you can also nibble them too along with the leaves and pickled seed pods.
Now nip over to
ABC Wednesday, the creation of one Denise Nesbitt and where the rather neat letter N is making a lot of noise this week!
P.S. I have to confess that the above nasturtiums are not grown in my patch - I nabbed a photo when we were visiting a garden earlier this year.
I love Nasturtiums - they are such 'mind-of-my-own' plants, meandering where they please around the garden and the pots I put them in.
ReplyDeleteThe orange flowers are perfect for October, and, hey, do I see a squash in there too? Looking good! :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite flowers, Anna. I have lovely memories of them in my grandmother's garden, and have grown them ever since I started gardening. Two pots of nasturtiums are still cheerfully blooming beside the deck!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting, - I smiled at your need for an excuse to go to the garden centre. I need one too. Such a dangerous place to visit.
Lovely...and so easy to grow, too! Have a wonderful week,
ReplyDeleteLeslie
abcw team
Nasturtiums are such great flowers--I love the foliage as well. Mine didn't do so well this year, though--I don't think they like hot, hot summers like the one we just had.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna,
ReplyDeleteI hope you're having an awesome week! I thought you might like this infographic I helped build about the health, mental, and financial benefits of gardening (http://blog.lochnesswatergardens.com/how-gardening-benefit/).
If you think your readers would like it too, please feel free to use it on the Green Tapestry blog. There's code at the bottom of our post that makes it super easy to post on your blog. It's all free (of course). If you have any questions about posting it, let me know and I'll try to help.
I don't know where else to contact you so I just posted a comment here. :)
Thanks!
~ Janey
janealvarado83@gmail.com
The never seem to seed themselves here. Perhaps we're a bit too far north. But they are beautiful, and tasty in a salad. My ABC Wednesday this week is Neil Armstrong.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a NO NONSENSE plant!
ReplyDeleteROG, ABC wednesday team
I had nasturtiums in the garden a couple of years ago and it's taken me all this time to get rid of all the plants which have self seeded. Now I have done so I shall grow them again, but catch them before they can self seed again. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that plants tend to self seed in the places you don't want them.
ReplyDeleteTry Jekka McVikar, she had some lovely varieties of Nasturtiums when we visited her a few years ago. There was one with really beautiful dark red flowers. I think it might have been Empress of India. She does mailorder.
ReplyDeleteSweet post if not so olfactorally sweet...
ReplyDeleteI do love nasturtiums! So sweet. :)
ReplyDeleteNice one Anna! Nothing nasty about these despite their shortened name. Love their nacarat hues best
ReplyDeleteOooh, you nasturtium cheat you!! I completely forgot to sow any this year. But hey, there's always next year.
ReplyDeleteI love nasturtiums Anna. I always making a sowing in Spring and the variety I used this year had a pleasing bushy growth. I pop them in salads for their peppery taste.
ReplyDeleteJeanne
x
The Nasturtiums I planted in the ground this year went crazy - swamping everything around them while spreading in every direction - quite monstrous. I might put them in a container next year.
ReplyDeletejust lovely
ReplyDeleteThanks for this Anna - I love nasturtiums when I see them, but I always forget to buy the seeds! At least they're on my list this year now!! :)
ReplyDeleteBloody Nasturtiums! Don't get me wrong, I really like them but they're never successful for me. They just seem to exist as martyrs for pests whenever I try to grow them.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I grew 'Empress of India'. Beautiful red blooms before the blackfly devoured them.