As soon as the weather begins to turn warm enough for me to be out attacking the WeedsofWinter, I begin to think about nasturtiums – or Tropaeolum majus, as my gardening friends say. I love nasturtiums and would have them brightening up every single flower bed if I had my way.
Unfortunately for me though, the nasturtiums in our garden seem to have a mind of their own. Sometimes they are cooperative and actually reseed themselves and pop up in all the likely places. Sometimes I give up waiting for them to show themselves and buy packets of new seeds which, if they decide to come up at all, are so late I almost don’t care anymore. Almost.
As of our 25th anniversary last September, I thought I’d care even less. That’s because Paul and Lana Jane Brent gave us one of Paul’s lovely watercolors of nasturtiums, ensuring that we’d have those cheerful blossoms in sight all year round. But, of course, in that convoluted way of things, Paul’s painting is just spurring me on.
I have several bags of seeds at the ready. If it will just stop storming for a minute, I’ll dash outside in get to planting. All I have to do is decide which seeds to put where. I have three different varieties this year – “jewel mixed colors,” “trailing mixed colors,” and “tall trailing mix seed.” That last kind is new to me. The packet says they are good to use in hanging baskets and window boxes and I have just the right spots for them.
The other two kinds are familiar. I love the clumps of jewel mixed colors and tend to put them in front of taller plants in the south garden beds. I intersperse the trailing variety here and there and everywhere. They are absolutely audacious, not only trailing, but climbing up other plants and festooning the porch posts and the old, rusty hand pump nearby. They never fail to make me smile.
And, besides all of the above, nasturtiums belong in our garden. They are among the first flowers I remember picking here when I was a little girl. I remember being far more interested in sucking the “honey” out of the nectar spurs and eating the peppery green seeds than in the cheer the blossoms provided. They grew around the edges of my grandfather’s pea patch and climbed up the walls of the old outhouse. They still say “summer in Oysterville” to me.
Love your post today, Sydney. I am also particularly fond of nasturtiums, and when they are in abundance, tossing a few blooms on top of a salad is a delight!
Another fan loved today’s post and she also loves nasturtiums. Think I will pick up a few packets for the garden enhancement project.
Nasturtiums have always made me smile. They were always planted beside the cabin from the time mom and dad first bought it. They kept reseeding themselves year after year. Anne and Jim have kept up the tradition so I get to look at them outside my kitchen window. Glad to hear you enjoy them too.
Nasturtiums were the first flowers my father helped me plant and I have lovely memories of being able to pick them all summer long. Edna Gray grew them on the rockery at the foot of their yard in Seaview and they looked lovely. After Edna and Noni died and the house was sold the new folks either let them play out or pulled them out because the rockery looks naked every summer. I shall speak to my Stacey about putting some in!