Nasturtium - 'Vesuvius'

I am currently doing a series of posts on flowers that I consider "Keepers" in my garden. Nasturtiums are one of my favorite annuals for growing in containers. This was my first year to grow this beauty, named 'Vesuvius".

The lovely salmon-pink flowers are surrounded by dark blue-green foliage that complements the flowers to perfection. (The varigated foliage you see to the right is another potted nasturtium, Alaska.) Vesuvius is an heirloom selection, included in Burpee's 1923 catalog. It grows to a height of about 12 inches.

Each year I like try new nasturtiums....but this will definitely be one that I grow again, for it's lovely combination of flower and foliage!

First Nasturtiums

My first nasturtiums of the season started blooming last week, the earliest I have had them in flower! This pot was sown and hung by the rafters in my greenhouse, where the seeds enjoyed the warmth and sprouted quite early. I soon had to move them to a cooler spot , as it got a little too toasty for them there. The pot is at home on my shabby rustic chair, one of my great yard sale finds for a mere $3.00! I originally had the chair inside my greenhouse, but since it has been parked outside it has kind of grown on me in it's new locale, so I will leave it there for now. The nice thing about this spot is that the greenhouse provides shade in the late afternoon, and I have found nasturtiums appreciate some shade, at least here in our sunny hot summers!
I always have several varieties and colors of nasturtiums growing in containers, which makes them easy to move about. They look nice grouped together and I love their old fashioned charm as they spill over the sides of the pots! The varieties I am growing this year include Alaska (love the varigated foliage on this one!) Tall Climbing Mix, Gleam, Whirlybird, Empress of India, Milkmaid, Moonlight, Vesuvius and Black Velvet. An extra bonus is the edible flowers, which add a colorful and spicy note to summer salads!