Consider Nasturtiums For The Garden and other Micro Gardening Ideas

chelloveck · Sep 21, 2015

I found a website that has many useful productive garden ideas.

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Ganado · Sep 21, 2015

Nasties are awesome! always love a new garden site and damn @chelloveck will you link us to the real site instead of pin or Facebook please?

20 Reasons to Grow this Amazing Herb -

chelloveck · Sep 21, 2015

@Ganado

Although the link is referenced inside the image in the OP, the link seems to be broken or the page could not be found on the site.

Here is the home page for the referenced site....15 Helpful Design Tips for Vertical Gardens - if you can't find the page regarding Nastutiums (the site has no search feature) there are a whole bunch of other useful articles to draw inspiration from.

Motomom34 · Nov 7, 2015

I never knew that nasturtiums were good for anything other then making a plate look pretty. I knew the blossoms were edible but never realized they have medicinal uses.

Although the rest of the plant is safe to eat, nasturtium seeds can be toxic.]

In addition to its pleasing flavor, the nasturtium is a rich source of vitamin C and is reputed to contain an herbal equivalent of penicillin, which helps the body fight off infections. It's an easy plant to cultivate, too, and is, in fact, often recommended as a good starter flower for beginning horticulturists.
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Nasturtium: An Edible Flower With a Bite

I found an article on the health benefits of nasturtiums- Great info. Thanks @chelloveck for pointing out these are a good flower to have around.

See What Nasturtiums Look Like

The Uses of Nasturtiums in History
These sunny, wonderful little flowers originated in South America and were widely used by the Meso-Americans for urinary tract infections, kidney problems and for their general antibiotic action.

The leaves were used to prevent scurvy and to supplement the daily diet and add flavor. The peppery leaves were very popular and the seeds were a prized delicacy.

In fact, they were considered so important that no little home was without a nasturtium plant if they could avoid it. The plants are also so undemanding that they were perfect for the rocky soil of the Andes.

In the 1600's in England, Nasturtiums were a valued plant and were called Indian Cress (Because of their similarity in flavor to Watercress.)

Wherever they have been introduced, these plants have quickly become a firm favorite because of their medicinal and culinary uses.

More Pix of Nasturtiums

The Benefits and Uses of Nasturtiums Today
Nasturtiums are a favorite part of many people's garden. Their cheery bright faces brighten the gardens even on the dreariest day and can also be used to brighten food and homes. As cut flowers go, they look great but don't last too long.

You could, however, grown them in a pot inside as long as they get full sunlight and the potting soil is not too rich.

The flowers are often added to salads to give them some color and the leaves add a great peppery taste to salads as well.

The seeds are often used in place of capers.

Just about the whole plant is useful.

Health Benefits Nasturtiums

Many people do not realize the vast number of health benefits and uses of nasturtiums in today's society.

Nasturtium leaves have a high concentration of Vitamin C and are also a natural antibiotic. Eating a couple of the peppery leaves at the onset of a cold can stop it dead in its tracks. The gentle antibiotic reaction makes it ideal for treating minor colds and flu. Eat one to two leaves three times a day for full benefits.

On a personal note, my brother will never eat nasturtium leaves again - when he was a child, he developed a fever and my mom gave him a couple of leaves - the next day he came out in chickenpox and still, to this day, insists that the chickenpox was caused by the nasturtium leaves. (This is, of course, silly - the fever he had was the first symptom of the chicken pox.)

Grow your own Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are very easy to grow. They do not like a rich soil and thrive in poor ones. They can grow just about anywhere as long as it in full sun. I had a very horrible piece of ground in y garden - I believe it is where the builders buried there rubble - not even weeds would grow there. I planted some yarrow (to condition the soil) and some nasturtiums and now it looks so pretty.

In the warmer parts of the world, they can be perennial plants but usually they are annuals. They tend to self-seed and, if conditions are right, they can pretty much take over. They form a small leafy bush that creeps along the ground and provides great ground cover.

They are frost tender and so will die down completely in winter in colder areas. Not to worry though, in spring they will come out again in full force.

Try growing different colours and varieties - they will cross-pollinate and you may get some interesting results.

I've even had little plants coming up all over the compost heap - they made a really good show there and covered it beautifully. Paradoxically, the compost heap gets very little sun so it just goes to show how hardy these little guys can be.

Nasturtiums come in a lot of different colours and there are also now varieties that have a variegated leaf - these are extremely pretty and very rewarding for the home gardener.

Make a Cool Display

Collect a few tin cans and drill holes into the bottom of them. Put a layer of stones at the bottom to aid drainage and add some soil. Plant a different colour plant in each "pot". Line up against a sunny wall and wait for the profusion of flowers.

Pretty as a Picture
Nasty 'Ems
My brother also battled with pronunciation when he was little and so he always said, "Nasty 'ems." To this day we tease him about his chicken pox plant.

Beauty Benefits of Nasturtiums
The high Vitamin C content in the leaves make these potent little plants great for you overall health and well-being. Eating a couple of leaves a day is said to help clear up acne.

The ancients used to use it as a hair tonic and scientific research actually backs this up - apparently Nasturtium tea applied to the head stimulates the capillaries and so increases circulation and the flow of nutrients to the scalp.

The tea can also be used in place of a toner for oily skin.

Make your Own Nasturtium Tea

Place one cup of flowers and/ or buds in a liter of water in a pot. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and store in the fridge.

For hair growth, massage into scalp before rinsing hair. Try using daily.
For skin care, apply using a cotton ball and then rinse.
An Ultra-Effective Hair Treatment

This is a bit more effort but makes is great for the hair. Mix one cup each of nettle, nasturtium and rosemary into two liters of water. Simmer in a closed pot for 15 minutes. Allow it to cool and then strain for use. Massage into scalp before rinsing out. I toss the used leaves into the compost heap so nothing goes to waste at all.

Refrigerate any leftovers.
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The Various Health Benefits and Uses of Nasturtiums

Please remember- the seeds can be toxic.

azrancher · Nov 7, 2015

Motomom34 said: ↑

I never knew that nasturtiums were good for anything other then making a plate look pretty. I knew the blossoms were edible but never realized they have medicinal uses.
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They are also supposed to be a good insect repellent in the garden, I tried some last year, but they didn't grow any volunteers this year, unlike my marigolds...

Rancher

Motomom34 · Nov 7, 2015

Tobit said: ↑

paw paw I will have
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I am unsure what a paw paw is. Animals?

azrancher said: ↑

They are also supposed to be a good insect repellent in the garden, I tried some last year, but they didn't grow any volunteers this year, unlike my marigolds...
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I have never had marigolds grow volunteers. I was overrun with pansy volunteers, those seed spread all over the place. @azrancher did your nasturtiums grow easily? They say you don't need to really pamper or water.

azrancher · Nov 7, 2015

Motomom34 said: ↑

I have never had marigolds grow volunteers. I was overrun with pansy volunteers, those seed spread all over the place. @azrancher did your nasturtiums grow easily? They say you don't need to really pamper or water.
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Well the actually spread their seeds, I have a 20X20 garden that I didn't rototill this year and it is over run with marigold and volunteer tobacco plants. Very pretty actually.

Rancher

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Consider Nasturtiums For The Garden and other Micro Gardening Ideas

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