Tropaeolum, Garden Nasturtium, Indian Cress 'Alaska Mixed'

Because I'm planning on growing this, I wanted to share a comment about this plant from sampleseeds.com. The owner of the website says, "...Read MoreThe leaves are marbled green and white and are very tasty to mix in to a salad. They have a strong peppery flavor akin to watercress or arugula. The flower color varies from cream through to red. This variety is a short mounding type good for in the ground or pot. Nasturtiums don’t like summer heat. I’ve found growing them in the part shade works well during the hot months". Has any one eaten it yet? D-Mail me if so. I'd like to know how it was. :)

This is a plant that I would not do without in my garden. I plant it from seed every year, soaking the seeds the night before. I have f...Read Moreound that if I plant it in really good, compost-rich soil, that it does not bloom much; but it really grows into a huge plant. If I plant it in our poor clay soil it blooms prolifically! And the foliage looks nice, too, in this soil - it just doesn't get so huge.

A favourite of mine, I love the large variegated leaves, and I agree, the variety I had seemed to be a "vining" type as well.
Prop...Read Moreagation tip:
I have found the seeds sprout much better if soaked in warm water the night before you plant them.

Two years ago I tried to grow some and no luck. Someone recommended rubbing the seeds with coarse sandpaper and soaking them before plan...Read Moreting so I did so last year and had a bumper crop of plants. The catch is that I have really poor, dry clay soil... and they loved it too much. The stated height on the package and everywhere says ~12". Mine were almost 24" tall! The ones in front of the bed flopped over onto the sidewalk but then the others just stood up leaning against them. My neighbors wanted to know what I fed them with and all I could say was "That's what I think right.... I didn't feed them at all." The leaves also made a happy home for the local aphid population, keeping the pests away from my more tender plants so I was pleased. And the aphids just washed off before I used the leaves for salads. I am now anxiously awaiting to see if the nasturtiums will return this spring and, if they do, if they will also be gigantic again. I'm afraid to plant anything else in that bed in the meantime since the nasturtiums last year smothered everything else in the bed (verbena, marigolds, and pansies- all dead).