Naïve Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are wonderful in their naïveté. The lazy gardener's dream plant, the nasturtium is a virtually zero-fuss, jewel-like flower that germinates easily from seeds, spreads like butter through the garden, and holds no interest for slugs.
This year, I tossed out handfuls of nasturtium seeds in designated spots in our flower beds. It was as easy as could be. Till a bit of soil about an inch or so down, fling the seeds at will, cover lightly with soil, and let the sun and rain do the rest.
With the cool, wet summer we've been having so far, the nasturtiums have swelled into gigantic mounds of decorative foliage and oceans of brightly colored blossoms with virtually no interference from me. In fact, they are getting a bit unwieldy, crowding out nearby cosmos and marigolds and moving dangerously close to the tower of sweet peas I planted as seed in early May.
Nasturtiums are gorgeous and, when grown organically, are also edible and delicious. Both leaves and flowers have a peppery, spicy flavor. Last week, I had my first nasturtium-leaf salad and it was fabulous. Creamy nasturtium soup is not too far off and I'll toss some nasturtium leaves into the food processor when I make my July "Green Goddess" salad dressing, a yummy concoction of homegrown basil, lemon verbena, parsley, lemon balm, chives, thyme, nasturtium, garlic, olive oil, vegan mayonnaise, and lemon juice.
But before they become food, the nasturtiums will shine in the garden. Bright hues of yellow and orange, vermilion red, tangerine, soft salmon, deep mahogany, cherry rose, white peach, raspberry, and cream all riot for attention throughout summer. Nasturtiums will climb, mound, drape, trail, and spread pretty much any way they please.
This summer, I got creative with nasturtiums. A beautiful vintage porcelain teapot was filled with soil and planted with nasturtium seeds in April. Now, the turquoise teapot is dangling in the rear garden, with yellow and orange nasturtiums spilling out.
An old tin tureen was put into use as a nasturtium pot; it sits just outside the back door and each morning, when I let the dog out to greet the day, I grab a leaf or two and nibble away while she trolls the woods.
Nasturtium flowers are the quintessential summer touch to a green salad. Pluck off the flowers, check for bugs, and, if the coast is clear, scatter a handful of nasturtium flowers over your chilled greens for a zesty, kaleidoscopic accent.
Did I mention nasturtiums' health benefits? The Chinese make a nasturtium-based soup that is eaten as a detoxifier in winter. Nasturtium is a natural detoxifier with antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Herbalists often recommend that smokers and those who inhale a lot of air pollution at their jobs incorporate nasturtium into their diets.
The Chinese soup is also considered very good for any urinary tract, bladder, and kidney problems because of its detoxifying properties. Nasturtiums contain high amounts of vitamin C and are an effective diuretic.
All this in a pretty little package that is so easy to grow it can be a child's first garden project and can be grown indoors all year as a kitchen herb in a sunny window? I was sold on nasturtiums years ago, after I first plucked a flower from a mound of nasturtiums, picked the long funnel off the back end of the flower, and sucked out the nectar. It is sweet and sublime.
There is one caveat about nasturtiums, however: They are a favorite food of aphids, those icky, green, sap-sucking little plant lice that reproduce in staggering numbers once they've found a reliable food source.
The good news is that if you plant nasturtiums in your flower bed, any aphids that happen by will go right for the nasturtiums and leave the rest of your plants alone.
The bad news is that you don't want to eat aphids. Check under the nasturtium leaf for aphids, as they will cluster up there, where the delicate stem meets the coin-like leaf.
Either you get aphids or you don't. So far this year, our nasturtiums have been aphid-free. So we'll be enjoying their cheerful color and piquant taste for a while now, and possibly all summer, if we're lucky. This month, I'll seed some more nasturtiums for a late-summer/early autumn harvest.
Barbara Douglas, M.A., MALS, is a UConn-certified master gardener and state-certified horticultural professional. She lectures, teaches workshops, and offers gardening and landscape services throughout the Connecticut shoreline. Email gardening questions to her at jnanayogagirl@att.net. Visit her gardening blog at http://satori inthegarden.blogspot.com.