A Must-Have Garden Plant That Everyone Should Consider Growing
The Benefits of Growing Nasturtiums
Growing nasturtiums in your garden can have numerous benefits. These plants are not only easy to grow and maintain but also provide a range of advantages, including organic pest control and delicious edible flowers.
- Organic pest control: Nasturtiums attract slugs and other pests, helping to keep them away from your more prized crops.
- Butterfly protection: Cabbage butterflies tend to lay their eggs underneath the leaves of nasturtiums, providing a shield to more precious plants.
- Edible flowers: Every part of the nasturtium is edible and contributes a delicious element to summer salads, with a flavour similar to rocket.
Self-Seed and Come Back Year After Year
Nasturtiums are a low-maintenance plant that will self-seed and come back year after year. While they may die back each year, they will regenerate and produce new seedlings.
| Year | Planting | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Plant a few nasturtium seeds or purchase small plants | Seedlings will emerge, and the plant will start to grow |
| Year 2 | Thin out weak seedlings and keep the strongest ones | More seedlings will emerge, and the plant will continue to grow |
| Year 3 | Continue to thin out weak seedlings and keep the strongest ones | More seedlings will emerge, and the plant will become more established |
How to Get Started
If you’re looking to get started with growing nasturtiums, now is the perfect time to pick up a few cheap nasturtium plants from the shops or sow some seeds to plant around your garden.
- Purchase a few cheap nasturtium plants from the shops
- Sow some seeds to plant around your garden
Expert Tips and User Testimonials
Gardening expert Joseph Clark has shared his top tip for growing nasturtiums, and users have echoed his sentiments.
- “I till my garden once a year, I planted these guys once, 10 years ago. I’ve never had to reseed. They are currently growing now.” – A TikTok user
- “We put them in the veg patch as a distraction snack for the pests. Works perfectly.” – A user
- “I’ve got a bunch in purple and a white/yellow colour as they are so good to hide dodgy fencing too.” – A user
- “I did not know these were edible! And natural pest control… get me some seeds in nowwwww!” – A user
- “The flowers are so good on a hard boiled egg open-faced sandwich.” – A user
Conclusion
Growing nasturtiums is a great way to add some beauty and functionality to your garden. With their easy-to-grow nature, organic pest control, and edible flowers, they are a must-have plant for any gardener.
“They are super simple and easy to grow, and once planted out will pretty much look after themselves.” – Joseph Clark
Remember, nasturtiums are a low-maintenance plant that will self-seed and come back year after year.
