Nasturtium - Garden Ideas & Outdoor Decor

Light:

Sun

Type:

Annual,
Vine

Height:

From 6 inches to 3 feet

Width:

From 12 to 18 inches wide, depending on type

Flower Color:

Orange,
Pink,
Red

Foliage Color:

Chartreuse/Gold

Seasonal Features:

Fall Bloom,
Summer Bloom

Problem Solvers:

Deer Resistant,
Drought Tolerant

Special Features:

Attracts Birds,
Good for Containers,
Low Maintenance

how to grow Nasturtium

Propagation

Seed

more varieties for Nasturtium

Alaska nasturtium

(Tropaeolum majus ‘Alaska’) is a trailing variety to 12 to 15 inches. It offers exciting, white-splashed foliage and striking red, orange, gold, yellow, and salmon flowers.

Canary creeper

(Tropaeolum peregrinum) offers lots of fringed canary-yellow blooms appear that look almost like butterflies in late spring. It climbs to 15 feet and is perennial in Zones 9-10.

Empress of India nasturtium

(Tropaeolum majus ‘Empress of India’) bears velvety, crimson-red flowers on a compact, 14-inch-tall plant.

Jewel of Africa nasturtium

(Tropaeolum majus ‘Jewel of Africa’) is a climbing annual to 5 feet tall that has variegated foliage and blooms in red, gold, yellow, cream, or peach.

Peach Melba nasturtium

(Tropaeolum majus ‘Peach Melba’) offers salmon-peach flowers all summer long on compact, 1-foot-tall plants.

Strawberry Ice nasturtium

(Tropaeolum majus ‘Strawberry Ice’) bears deep yellow flowers with a strawberry-red blotch at the base of each petal. It trails or climbs to 16 inches.

plant Nasturtium with

Petunia

Petunias are failproof favorites for gardeners everywhere. They are vigorous growers and prolific bloomers from midspring through late fall. Color choices are nearly limitless, with some sporting beautiful veining and intriguing colors. Many varieties are sweetly fragrant (sniff blooms in the garden center to be sure.) Some also tout themselves as “weatherproof,” which means that the flowers don’t close up when water is splashed on them.Wave petunias have made this plant even more popular. Reaching up to 4 feet long, it’s great as a groundcover or when cascading from window boxes and pots. All petunias do best and grow more bushy and full if you pinch or cut them back by one- to two-thirds in midsummer.Shown above: Merlin Blue Morn petunia

Cosmos

You can depend on this cottage-garden favorite to fill your garden with color all season long. The simple, daisylike flowers appear in cheery shades on tall stems that are great for cutting. The lacy foliage makes a great backdrop for shorter plants, as well. Cosmos often self-seeds in the garden, so you may only have to plant it once, though the colors can appear muddy or odd in the reseeders.Plant cosmos from seed directly in the ground in spring. Or start from established seedlings. This flower doesn’t like fertilizing or conditions that are too rich, which causes the foliage to be large and lush but with fewer blooms. It does best with average moisture but will tolerate drought.

French Marigold

Just as you’d expect from something called French, these marigolds are the fancy ones. French marigolds tend to be frilly and some boast a distinctive “crested eye.” They grow roughly 8-12 inches high with a chic, neat, little growth habit and elegant dark green foliage.They do best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil and will flower all summer long. They may reseed, coming back year after year, in spots where they’re happy.

Find more about choosing and growing annuals

How to Pick Healthy Plants

The Best Annual Flowers of 2014
Trend Spotting with BHG: Flower Combinations
Top Shade Garden Plants