Nasturtiums
Cute, cheerful, charming summer flowers
Text & Photography by Gina Denniston
Illustration by Mauricio Patarroyo

Plant nasturtiums in your vegetable garden because they keep aphids and other pests away from your crops.

Not that you can't go to the nursery and buy plants, but why should you? A packet of seeds costs less than $3, and the return on your investment is high.

Sow the seeds in the ground or in a pot now. A sunny spot is best, and the soil need not be amended or even particularly productive. In fact, the less fertilizer, the better.

Water well, but not too much. Nasturtiums don't like being wet, yet they don't tolerate drought well.

Giving the plants adequate room to spread is essential. Although technically not vines or climbers, nasturtiums tend to ramble, and you want to encourage that kind of behavior. It's part of their charm.

A big, tangled, overflowing pot or window box of nasturtiums is one of summer's visual delights. Blooms range in color from creamy white to deep blood red. Foliage can be solid green or variegated, like 'Alaska Mix.' The shape of the leaves is pleasingly circular.

Nasturtiums come indoors, too, when you want an easy, cheerful arrangement for a kitchen or porch table. Cutting the blooms fosters new ones, so keep your shears handy.

For a pretty and tasteful addition to a green salad, try sprinkling a few nasturtium petals (or even the entire bloom and the foliage) on your lettuces for a fresh, peppery flavor. Yes, all parts of the plant are edible. Even if you don't want to eat them, the flowers make a delightful garnish on summer dishes. Yum.