Container Gardening Inspiration: Edible Nasturtiums

Are you thinking about starting a garden this year? Do you just have room for a windowbox or perhaps one little pot? Are you trying to choose between a pot of flowers and a kitchen herb or vegetable? Well, you really don't have make that last decision, at least. You can have your salad and your flowers at the same time: grow lovely, delicious nasturtiums!

Nasturtiums have bright, beautiful blossoms and round lilypad-like leaves, and everything is edible. The leaves and flowers are slightly peppery and refreshing; the plant is related to watercress. Even the seed pods are edible — you can pickle them like capers. Just toss it all together in a big, beautiful salad like the one above.

They are easy to grow, and then come in all sorts of varieties for different spaces. Some varieties are low and creeping — just right for a small pot. Others will climb up a trellis or wire; I am planting one variety that is supposed to grow 6-8 feet in the summer! I am going to plant it in windowboxes hanging on the back deck and train the vines up nylon cord to create a summer privacy screen.

These hardy litte flowers don't need much attention; they actually bloom better when they are not well fertilized. They don't like too much heat or drought, but other than that, they are quite easy.

One more edible flower: chives and chive blossoms! Sow some chive seeds in a windowbox and enjoy the onion-chive flavors in your salads and the nodding purple puffs. The more you cut chives the more they will produce.

Are you putting any edible flowers in your garden this year?

More edible flower inspiration:
• Seasonal Spotlight: Edible Flowers
• Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
• Edible flower and shrimp salad
• How to Use Chive Blossoms in Salads and Other Dishes
• Seasonal Spotlight: Nasturtiums

(Images: Flickr member SantaRosa OLD SKOOL licensed for use under Creative Commons; Flickr member Sancho Papa licensed for use under Creative Commons; Faith Durand)

There are two kinds of plants known as nasturtium. The one you have pictured is from the genus Tropaeollum and is not related to watercress. The other kind of nasturtium is a watercress and looks totally different. Both kinds are edible, however.
Anyway, I am a huge fan of edible flowers and I'm growing three different kinds on my porch right now: Empress of India nasturtiums, violas, and Lemon Gem marigolds. I love a multi-purpose plant.

posted by Meaghin on April 27th 2009 at 4:40pm
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I love nasturtiums. The flowers are a very nice bonus but the leaves are really nice and pungent in a salad. I would like to get enough buds to pickle like capers.

posted by art on April 27th 2009 at 5:10pm
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The great thing about nasturtiums (besides the fact that they are tasty) is that they help keep pests away from plants like tomatoes and peppers.

Win-win!

posted by Liana WW on April 27th 2009 at 5:22pm
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Be careful, though. Particularly if you have a mild climate, like the San Francisco Bay area, those lovely nasturtiums will escape the pots and take over any yard you've got! They're easy to pull up, though, and prevent weeds, so it's not really a bad thing. My entire yard is full of nasturtiums, and it's beautiful.

posted by deliriumsama on April 27th 2009 at 6:09pm
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I didn't know the chive blossoms were edible too. I just picked up some chive and parsley seeds and mini-pots (egg carton size) from the $1 section at Target.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for Nasturtium seeds and try the chive blossoms when those come up.

posted by Amy S on April 27th 2009 at 6:13pm
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I was just deciding where to plant my nasturtiums earlier this evening and checking my chives for buds - just a couple of more weeks until I have chive flowers to garnish my salad. : )

posted by Dana McCauley on April 27th 2009 at 8:39pm
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I bought chive seeds earlier this year to start, but recently read that you can't eat the chives for one year after starting. Anyone know about this?

posted by francaisejolie on April 28th 2009 at 3:35pm
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@francaisejolie, out of curiosity, where did you read that? I have always thought chives were the easiest things to start and eat. If you sow them directly in pots or the ground they should be ready to eat within 6 weeks or so. And if you keep on cutting them they keep on producing!

posted by faith on April 28th 2009 at 6:04pm
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i grew nasturtiums in a large container one year, but some sort of horrid little green bug (aphid? not sure!) colonized the entire pot and completely destroyed them :( they were really pretty up until then, though!

posted by kittystockings on April 28th 2009 at 8:44pm
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i love nasturtium pesto. just use nasturtium leaves instead of basil, and walnuts instead of pine nuts. throw in some honey and lemon. too delicious!

posted by bittenbyamouse on April 28th 2009 at 11:26pm
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