Brighten up your salads

The lovely nasturtiums are all starting to flower now and I am so glad as I love these humble little flowers.

I say humble because many people think of them as almost a weed because they pop up in many places in the garden every year.

However, these wonderful flowers have many uses and should be valued.

Apart from the fact that they come in many beautiful colours and brighten up the garden or containers, they are also what is known as a "trap" plant - in other words aphids and caterpillars love them and by planting nasturtiums, you can keep these beastlies away from your veggies or other plants.

The flowers are edible and make salads look gorgeous - and the seeds can also be eaten and are known as the poor man's capers.
The leaves can be eaten to help cold and flu systems and have a peppery taste.

Of course the flowers are loved by the bees who are attracted by the many bright colours.

When they are in full flower, I pick the blooms and put them into a vase and they really look delightful.