View this post on Hive: Garden Journal - Bright, Sunny Blooms

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Nasturtium

(Tropaeolum majus)

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_{Nikon D3400 : f/8 : 1/400 : ISO-100 : 55mm - Loving the definition of the veins and the feathered spikes in this photo.}

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About a month ago, I made a post about my garden and showed photos of some new plants that I'd recently planted. One of those plants was my Nasturtium which at the time, was only weeks old and still very 'green'.

This week, that same plant is looking glorious with a beautiful, vibrant and sunny colour to bring some warmth to the increasingly Autumn days that approach.

At first, I was surprised to see flowers so late in the season and wondered if I could plant it out in the garden but I quickly found out that while Nasturtiums are tolerant to a light frost, they would be easily damaged by the freezing temperatures and decent frosts that we get in Canberra over winter.

This is really unfortunate, as one of the perceived downsides to this plant is that they self-seed readily which is exactly the tool I need to help improve my soil at the moment. The Nasturtiums are said to prefer a well-drained, semi-neglected soil which unfortunately, a lot of my garden beds have... so as you can understand, to let this beautiful plant run rampant through the garden beds would be a welcome and eye-pleasing assistant.

The pictured plant is currently in a pot and under cover so hopefully I can keep her away from the frost, I might have to bring it inside during the worst months but next spring, I will try to remember to throw a scattering of seeds around early in the season and see how much growth I get before winter rolls around again.

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_{Nikon D3400 : f/8 : 1/400 : ISO-100 : 40mm}

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Plant details

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Common name: Nasturtium
Botanic name: Tropaeolum majus

Description: A fast-growing annual from Peru, which has pale green, umbrella-shaped leaves with long stems. Flowers are produced in summer and autumn and come in shades of orange, red and yellow. There are trailing and bushy types, with single, semi-double or double flowers. Variegated varieties are also available.

Best climate: Nasturtiums grow in most areas of Australia, except for cold, mountain zones.

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Uses

• ground cover
• massed display
• along fences
• hanging baskets
• salads

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Good points

• quick and easy to grow
• colourful, long-lasting flowers
• attractive foliage
• trailing and bushy types available

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Downside

Nasturtiums self-seed readily and may pop up in places where they are not wanted.

_{Source: CTC Productions. "Nasturtium – Plant of the week." Burke's Backyard, https://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/flowering-plants-shrubs/nasturtium-plant-of-the-week/. Accessed 22 April 2019}

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_{Nikon D3400 : f/8 : 1/500 : ISO-100 : 45mm}

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