I was not sure where to post this question. I would like to order climbing nastursiums and wanted to know if anyone has grown them? If so, what specific name should I look for? Where did you order seeds (if you ordered them)? Thanks DM
climbing nastursiums
Diane's Flower Seeds is a popular seed resource for DG members and she is offering several nasturtiums that grow 9 to 12 feet and would be appropriate for climbing. You will need a trellis of some sort though.
I have grown several kinds with varying results, but I think it was me (and not the varieties) that was at fault. Generally they are easy to grow.
Lots of other seed suppliers have nastutiums too.
Thanks so much Tabasco! yes I have seen alot of places selling nastursiums, but I wanted climbers. DM
tabasco, maybe I'm not looking in right but I did not see climbing nastursiums on Diannes sight. DM
LOL well, I think I've lost my mind--or at least my vision! I saw the 9 -12" on the descriptions and thought it was feet! Oh, well.
Try Sunrise Seeds -- scroll way down to find 'Spitfire' which is a climber-- http://www.sunriseseeds.com/NASTURTIUM%20%20SEEDS.0.html
Park's has "jewel of Africa" which is a true vining variety.
artemiss-- do you grow a lot of nasturtiums?
I have little luck with them here--do you know what the 'secret' is?
Jewel of Africa looks like a pretty plant.
Well, we just moved here from Missouri, so I really don't know how they will do this year..
I do know a gal who just threw down a few seeds of the trailing variety back in Illinois, forgot about them, and by the end of the summer, they were just stunning..crawling up the porch, along the drive and escaping the bed. I also had them in a window box a few years ago, and the only problem I had there was keeping them watered.
I have read that they actually prefer poor soil, and fertilizer seems to just make more leaves and less flowers..In other words, aside from not liking to be dried out, they thrive on neglect.
I am trying a trailing variety in one of my beds this year, so I will let you know how that goes..
tabasco, I was laughing when I saw your mistake. That is so funny to me, probably because I've glanced at things numerous times and read things wrong.
Spit fire is one I think I'm going to order. I love the deep orange with the green leaves.
Also thanks for the sunrise seed sight. Now I'm going to get some others from that sight that I was not even thinking of getting.
Your questions about nastutium re-kindled my interest in them too. And your description of your friend's nasties sounds lovely. I wish I had a porch for them to grow on, but maybe I'll try a pot with a trellis thingie in it.
I notice Sunrise Seeds listed several climbers (if my eyes aren't deceiving me again!)
I think I over fertilized them before and also allowed them to go dry too often...
They say the hummingbirds love the red ones especially.
Tabasco,
Wow, thank you for the Sunrise Seeds link. I've been growing nasturtiums for many years but I have never seen so many in one place - or so many varioeties that are unknown to me.
More trouble to get into!
Donna
Yes, It looks like Sunrise Seeds wants to be 'The Source' for Nasturtiums.
http://www.sunriseseeds.com/NASTURTIUM%20%20SEEDS.0.html
They have gathered together quite a collection and I'm going to order from them too!
Do you use Nasturtiums in salads and so forth? I wonder if they all taste the same...?
As long as we're talking about the esoterics of nasturtiums, I thought I would post this Sunrise link that I missed the first time around:
All about how to use nasturtiums in recipes and so on...
http://www.sunriseseeds.com/Nasturtium%20Seed%20Info.0.html
Tabasco,
Yes I do. I put them in salads. I would say that the creme and yellow ones have considerably less "snap" that the red and orange ones.
I've found over the years that some nasturtiums behave differently in my garden. Jewel of Africa and the climbers have never done well for me, but Mahagony Whirlybird really rocks. I got a mix from Thompson and Morgan about 8 years ago, and I keep seeding its descendents. YOu start getting some very interesting colors, which I then try to preserve. If I see a nasturtium with particularly beautiful or well shaped leaves (I have a cream colored 6th or 7th generation one), I will deliberately put it in semishade in good soil. The leaves become bigger than the palm of your hand and the effect is very cool.
Donna
I have had Whirlybirds, and they really do climb...the effect was not stunning since they chose a multi branched tree I have, LOL! Escaped was a good word choice.
On the other hand, I also had the growing along a low iron fence, and that really was stunning!
Not sure I helped any, but I love these things...
Tab, I have NOT seen hummingbirds interested in them at all. I *think* it's because most the climbers do not have the nectar spurs (are spurless) and the spurred ones are too shrot. Isn't 14" the hummer threshold on height? Below that and they aren't interested? I had a lot of Nasturitums last year in that dark red-orange and the hummers flew by them every day, twice a day, showing no interest whatsoever.
Once again I am going by memory, but I believe the only spurred ones that are climbing are the Park's Fragrant Giants...but do NOT quote me on this.
Suzy
I thought I would put the Copper Sunsets from Renee's Seeds in hanging baskets--She says the HBs like them a lot. http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/seeds-hm/flowersN.htm
Then I will plant a few pots of the various red climbing ones here and there and see what happens.
Yes, I agree, I have never seen the HBs around mine, either, but then I didn't grow them very well and they weren't in hanging baskets...I can always use them in salads and to decorate aspic for tea parties!
This thread inspired me to try again and I called Sunrise Seeds and bought 5 or 6 kinds. Silly. Then I looked in my seed file and saw I had several kinds already.
Looks like lots of hanging baskets in my future!
Yes, the elevation of the hanging basket is what they need, I believe. Possibly Copper Sunset has nectar spurs, too.
I ordered : Night and Day nasturtium and Spitfire from sunriseseeds. It cost $8 including shipping. I can get alot of plants for all the seeds I will get. DM
Here's what I bought from Sunrise Seeds:
Jewel of Africa
Tip Top Velvet
Climbing Spitfire
Tip Top Mix ( I think I clicked on this by mistake since I already ordered the Tip Top Velvet)
Also some Maypops and Echinops. I think it came to $13 or $14.
I have a few packets already in inventory-- 'Copper Sunset' and some un-IDed from collected seed--I think 'Butter and Cream'.
Our gardens should be overflowing with bloom. And our salads!
We'll have to remember to post pics this summer!
Ooh, thanks for that recipe link..I am saving that for this summer when I have flowers to stuff!
This is a member of the nasturtium family that I just love.
http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/n/nasturtium_tropaeolum_peregrinum_CC.htm
It self seeds very well, and I love the shape of the flower. Probably not exactly what you're looking for, but a fun one.
Sanna
Dig, many places sell the climbing nasties, but not by that name. You just have to look under Nasturtiums and find the ones listed in feet, not inches. The Burpee displays, in stores, usually have them every year.
http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/vines/Tropaeolum_peregrinum.html
sannajane--the canary bird vine/nasturtium sure is pretty vining on the blue chair in the link above.
Swallowtail carries this seed online--I'm not sure if I've seen that particular one on the seed racks around here...
http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/vines.html
Since getting interested in the climbing nasturtium seeds, I also started some Japanese Morning Glories, Cup and Saucer vine, Spanish Flag vine, and I have some seeds for campsis and other ipomeoas for the hummingbirds... now all I need is a big chain link fence!
I did buy some iron trellises today at Big Lots--20% off! Yay!!
I love that picture, Tab!!!!! Having said that, if I put a little chair out in the middle of the garden it would look really stupid...I wonder why it works in some places and not in others?
Did you know Canary Creeper (and other tender climbing Tropaeolums) has a tuber and can be brought inside over the winter?
Suzy
This message was edited Feb 24, 2008 3:35 PM
Yes, so cute. My neighborhood is so staid and planned out a little blue chair would look silly here, too. Oh, well....
Didn't know that about the tuber. I know nothing about vines--don't really have anything for them to climb on except my little topiary trellis,etc. I bought today at Big Lots...
I didn't have one vine under 10 feet last year and it was messy looking because none of my trellises were tall enough. I'm not sure how to get them taller, but I suspect taking them to a welder to put 36" steel legs on them all would be a big help - maybe even 48".
My Mina lobata was so heavy with just one or two plants (from seed) that it was actually listing about 20 degrees. And it had all kind of things under ground to keep it from falling over, so not sur eon the little trellises.. I need a giant-big wood trellis archway-walkthrough. Then some little pins or pegs into the brick walls of the house.
Suzy
That's what I need too. A nice big archway trellis or two! Or, why not a pergola!
I suppose I can use my Big Lot's trellises for my little nasturtiums...
Suzy, I have seen the pictures of the Mina lobata vine, on here. Is it really as pretty as those pictures show?
~Lucy
Yes, it really is beautiful -- and BIG, those suckers get big! The flowers make a great little cut flower, and I once decided they'd make a great ribbon for a package -- so I wrapped that long vine around the package 3 times and took it to a birthdy party. The leaves wilted and died IN THE CAR!, so I had to sit in the hot car in the parking lot and pull them off. I thought it was still a nice looking package with all the flowers go off every which way....not sure the recipient was that enamoured, though. Like she was expecting bugs to jump off at any moment. LOL!
LOL, you are so creative. Thanks for the info, I'll find it a pretty spot to grow, with plenty of room. : )
I would just plant one about 6 feet from the base of every orange tree you have, then put a little ladder near the seedlings and leaning against the trunk. Very Orange-Grove Cottagey!
Suzy
FYI I wanted to post this article about rarer (at least here in the states) kinds of climbing nasturtiums. Some of these are a little bit hardy and good hummingbird nectar plants, too. Others of them can be quite invasive when they are in happy accommodation, so watch out for them and be ready to dead head!
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/plant/nasturtium.htm
Tab, I've been on the lookout for the Tropaeolum speciosum seeds, but to no avail.
I have a BUNCH of canary creeper seeds, but it would be way easier to buy them from B&B Bulns because they make a little tuber.
I also bought 3 packs of Tropaeolum azureum from RA SCHUMANN, seedman. 4 seeds to a pack. LOL. 5 have germinated, but through an operator error, only 3 are still alive (bowing head: RIP) These need a deep pot and also make a tuber, though it is suggested by Ursala in Chile that you sow them in the same pot and leave them for 2 years if possible.
I also bought some Tropaeolum tricolorum -- gorgeous!
I'm sure I will not have good luck with the T azureum and T tricolorum because they are on opposite schedules than Indiana. They want to germinate in the fall, grow in the winter and die down and stay dry in the summer....they don't like heat at all.
LOL, very Orange-Grove Cottagey. DH will die. LOL
Yes, well, those hardy nasturtiums are beyond my gardening skill. I am consumed right now with trying to grow a morning glory so I doubt that I can handle anything more challenging!
Good luck with them, though, Illoquin--I look forward to the photos next summer! I'm sure they'll do well.
I'm asssuming you all know that nasties should be direct sowed, but since I didn't see that specifically mentioned with the poor soil/no fertilizer knowledge that I would throw that info in here. They do soooo much better when ds, their growth seems severly stunted to me when transplanted and a lot of times, in my experience, never settle in.
No, I didn't know that direct sowing would make that much difference! Thanks for the tip!
No wonder I haven't had much luck with them. I always buy some starts at the garden center but this year I was going to try to start them in peat pots. Maybe I'll wait until the soil is warm enough, then. Or maybe try it both ways since I have enough of seeds--I really got carried away on the seed gathering this winter...
Thanks.
I've always direct sowed them, but I wonder if peat pots would work well?
Honestly I just don't see it being worth the trouble-they're one of those plants that seem so much happier beinf left alone. But I agree primrose if you are going to do it might as well do it in a peat pot.
Here's a pic of some DS 'cherry rose jewel' nasties from last year that gave me a wonderful show all summer long. Not a climber, but still quite pretty!
I too have always had so much better luck with direct sowing ~ they just don't transplant well for me. And they seem to be just so darned hardy.... I get to the point where I'm ripping them out after awhile! My 2cents worth....
Sanna