Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are such rewarding flowers -- easy to grow, undemanding, and beautiful.

As soon as the danger of frost is past, soak the seeds saved from last year's crop (or from a package) for a few hours, then poke them into the dirt. You'll be rewarded, in time, with cascades of yellow, scarlet, orange, coral, cream, and apricot, as well as lush green foliage.

And for a bonus, both leaves and blossoms are edible - a little spicy, like water cress. And of course, nasturtiums are part of the crop on Elizabeth's Full Circle Farm.

". . . we got a call from Lidio -- their usual supplier had let them down and they have a huge wedding party tonight and their chef was pitching a fit because he didn't have fresh nasturtium petals for the salads. . . . Kyra and I picked all the nasturtium blossoms-- get this, the chef only wanted red ones no orange, no yellow." (Ben in Art's Blood)

I'm not that discriminating -- and I use the whole flower, not just the petals.