Some people see Nasturtium as a weed. If you saw what my garden looked like before the great cleanup you can understand why.
If left to its own devices, Nasturtium will take over. It climbs and grows along the ground. It just takes over.
So why would I plant Nasturtium in my garden?
Nasturtium is self seeding so I never actually planted any. I moved in ten years ago and when the weather started getting colder the Nasturtium simply popped up. I let them grow, just keeping a hand on it to make sure it does not overrun anything.
I mainly did it because I like flowers in the garden. I am not too good at taking care of flowering plants though.
Nasturtium needs very little care. It grows easily, loves water and in the last months of winter it starts putting out beautiful flowers. Then it gives beautiful colorful flowers throughout spring.
When the hot weather starts it starts to die off and dries quickly so it is easy to clean out.
For some reason snails also love hiding in the Nasturtium forest. Leaving a couple of Nasturtium patches makes snail catching easier. It is also home for a couple of insects that are beneficial for your garden.
There are some even better reasons to keep Nasturtium in your garden. You can eat it. The leaves have a mustardy taste and are used in salads. The flowers can also be used to colour up salads and other dishes.
My favorite culinary use is to make Crystallized Edible Flower. It's easy to make and once done it preserves the flowers for up to a year.
When it comes to culinary delights, Nasturtium seeds preserved in brine can be served as a side dish with most dishes.
Nasturtium isn't simply another food. It is known as a natural antibiotic. Having it as part of your diet is a good idea.
Now you understand why Nasturtium will always be part of my garden. It is also a very good food forest plant that is self seeding, needs little tending and helps with pest control.
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