Nasturtium are a charming and prolific flower which come in a variety of colours. They have large eye catching flowers and unusual almost round shaped leaves.
They are easy to grow but dislike a waterlogged soil and appreciate as much light as you can give them.
For the uninitiated, the flowers are a delight to eat, being slightly sweet with a spicy kick and the leaves are also edible (they taste a little like rocket only jucier). I grow this mix to supply the Red Bank Restaraunt at Carrick and other local eateries.
This is a mix of different colours and foilage types, some of which have exquisite marbled (variegated) foilage.
They are quite happy in modest pots of 1.5 litre and will look particularly attractive in a hanging basket.
I grow them under protection (polycarbonate greenhouse and in my porch) so I can secure a supply of leaves and flowers year round, but I do utilise grow lights in winter!
I have found them to be hardier than I thought, although they will not tolerate frost. They will certainly flower for several months and deadheading will prolong flower production, as with many flowers.
The seed coat is thick and corky, so it helps speed germination is you soak them overnight or alternatively nick the seedcoat (as I do with my fingernail) to expose the dark brown kernal within.
