What Really Worked – My Favorite New Plant This Year is a Nasturtium
End of summer confession time – tell me what the favorite plant from your garden is for this season. Below you will see that a few of my gardening friends and I from all over the country are getting together to have a blog round-robin that features our top plant picks of the season that rocked our garden world. We want to know what your best-of-the-best plant pick is too so leave a comment on this post telling me what you loved. We will have to try your fav pick next season!
My Favorite New Plant
Nasturtiums are amazing edible flowering plants that thrive with neglect. They seem to hate over fertile soil and prefer to be thrown in a spot where other plants refuse to grow in your plot. I once discovered a secret garden of nasturtiums. There were hundreds of the bold flowers growing with wild passion in an abandoned city lot in Detroit, Michigan with absolutely no gardener to tend them. I have wanted to grow them ever since and when I ran out of plants to plant this season, I chose to plant my wall garden up with my fav bulbs and Botanical Interest seeds instead. Nasturtium Alaska Variegated Heirloom ‘Tropaeolum majus’ was one of my picks for the wall garden and is definitely my favorite plant that I have never grown before.
Most nasturtiums prefer full sun to light shade. All the plants were started from seed that I soaked for 24 hours first. My wall garden resides in all day shade with only reflective light, so they flowered less than I had hoped. This, however, was not a problem as the gorgeous variegated leaves lit up the area and did amazingly well in the Woolly Pocket vertical garden wall system.
Garden Friends Picks
Below are several of my friends best new plant picks to inspire you in your garden for next season. Start planning your garden with their insight. Check out these fantastical plant choices by clicking on the photos, it will take you to their blogs so you can see the plant up close and personal.
Hi Shawna!
Nasturtiums are one of my favorites, too! In the deep south, they do well all winter long, and I love their bright cheerful color during the cool, darker months. Great choice!
Carolyn
We have to grow nasturtiums in somewhat cooler weather, like late winter or early spring, just like Carolyn said. They are so easy to grow, too. I love that more coral color!
They’re flowers are gorgeous!
The bi-color leaf is to die for!
I grew Variegated Alaska Nasturtium for the first time this year as well! I was so impressed on how well it did and what beautiful foliage and flower colors it brings! I also tried another two red and orange varieties but didn’t compare with Alaska Mix. Great pick!