From Round Seeds to a Cascade of Edible Summer Colour

A friendly guide to sowing, growing and enjoying nasturtiums in Hungary.

Come Into the Garden With Me…

Today, we're growing nasturtiums - one of the easiest, happiest flowers you can put in a summer garden.

They have round leaves like little green umbrellas, bold flowers in glowing shades of yellow, orange, red, cream and salmon, and a wonderfully relaxed way of spilling over the edge of a pot or softening the front of a border.

Nasturtiums are also one of those plants that make beginners feel successful. The seeds are large enough to hold comfortably between your fingers. They germinate quickly in warm soil. They do not need rich compost or complicated feeding. And once they begin flowering, they can keep going until autumn frost arrives.

For Hungary, that is a very useful combination. Our summers can be hot and dry, and nasturtiums are quite content in sunshine as long as they receive enough water to keep growing. In fact, too much rich feeding often gives you masses of leaves and disappointingly few flowers.

There is another surprise too: nasturtiums are edible. The flowers and leaves have a fresh, peppery taste, so the plant can move from the flower bed straight onto a summer salad.

The variety in the Holland Kertészet range is Nasturtium 'Alaska TT Salmon', a compact form with salmon-coloured flowers and beautifully variegated foliage. It is especially well suited to borders, containers and balcony boxes.

So this book is going to be practical, cheerful and very hands-on. We will start with that chunky little seed, grow it into a strong young plant, learn how much sun and water it really needs, and finish with flowers, seed pods and a few leaves for the kitchen.

Ready? Let's sow something that almost refuses to be difficult.

1. Meet the Nasturtium

The common garden nasturtium is usually Tropaeolum majus. Despite the common English name, it is not related to watercress, even though the botanical name Nasturtium is used for watercress. In the flower garden, when we say nasturtium, we mean Tropaeolum.

What does it look like?

The leaves are nearly round, with veins radiating from a point near the centre. Raindrops often sit on the surface like tiny glass beads. The flowers have five petals and a characteristic spur at the back.

Depending on the variety, plants may stay compact and bushy or produce long trailing and climbing stems. 'Alaska TT Salmon' belongs to the compact group and grows to roughly 30 cm high, making it particularly useful near the front of a border or in pots.

2. The Nasturtium We Grow With You

At Holland Kertészet, the nasturtium in our current seed range is Buzzy Nasturtium 'Alaska TT Salmon' .

Why 'Alaska TT Salmon'?

This is a compact, very easy-to-grow form with a long flowering season. The flowers are soft salmon to pinkish-salmon, while the leaves are attractively splashed and marbled with creamy white. That foliage makes the plant decorative even before the first bud opens.

Because it does not make long vigorous runners like climbing nasturtiums, it is ideal for containers, edging, low borders, raised beds and balcony boxes.

Packet growing rhythm

The standard Buzzy guidance is simple: sow directly outside from early spring until early summer. In practice, for Hungary, April to the end of June is a sensible window, depending on soil temperature and frost risk.

3. Finding the Right Place

Sun first

Nasturtiums flower best in full sun. A little light shade is tolerated, especially in a very hot courtyard, but too much shade produces more leaves and fewer flowers.

Do not spoil them with rich soil

This is where nasturtiums are different from many bedding plants. Rich, heavily fertilised soil often encourages lush green growth at the expense of flowers. Ordinary garden soil is usually quite enough.

If you have a bed that has been heavily enriched with manure or high-nitrogen fertiliser, choose a leaner spot for your nasturtiums or grow them in a container with ordinary potting compost.

Drainage

They like regular moisture while actively growing, but they do not want roots sitting in stagnant water. Good drainage matters, especially in containers after summer storms.

4. Sowing the Big Round Seeds

Nasturtium seed is one of the friendliest seeds for beginners. It is large, pale brown and wrinkled, so you can actually see where each seed goes.

Direct sowing outside

•  Wait until the soil has begun to warm and hard frost is no longer likely.

•  Make a small hole around 1.5-2 cm deep.

•  Place one seed in each hole and cover with soil.

•  Space compact plants roughly 25-30 cm apart.

•  Water gently and keep the soil lightly moist while germination begins.

In much of Hungary, April and May are excellent sowing months. You can continue sowing into June for later flowers.

Starting in pots

You can start a few seeds indoors or under protection if you want an earlier start, but do not begin ridiculously early. Nasturtiums grow quickly and soon become awkward on a windowsill.

Use individual small pots so roots are disturbed as little as possible at planting time.

5. The First Seedlings

The first leaves do not yet look exactly like the famous round nasturtium leaves, but the plant soon becomes recognisable.

Light

Give seedlings plenty of light. Weak, stretched seedlings are usually telling you that they are too warm and not receiving enough light.

Water

Keep young plants evenly moist but not saturated. Once roots become established, they are more forgiving, but a tiny seedling in a small pot can dry out surprisingly quickly on a sunny spring day.

Hardening off

If you started indoors, gradually accustom the plants to outdoor sun, wind and cooler nights before planting them permanently outside.

6. Planting Out in Hungary

Nasturtiums dislike frost, so do not rush tender seedlings into the garden simply because one April afternoon feels like summer.

For many Hungarian gardens, planting out in late April or May is safer, depending on local conditions. Gardeners in colder or exposed areas should be prepared to wait a little longer.

How far apart?

For compact Alaska TT Salmon, around 25-30 cm between plants gives each one room to develop into a rounded mound without becoming congested.

After planting

Water thoroughly after planting, then keep an eye on moisture during the first couple of weeks. Once the roots spread into the surrounding soil, care becomes much easier.

7. Watering Through a Hot Hungarian Summer

Established nasturtiums are tougher than their soft leaves suggest, but they still need water during prolonged heat.

In the ground

Water deeply rather than giving tiny splashes every day. A thorough watering encourages roots to explore deeper soil and makes the plant more resilient.

In pots and balcony boxes

Containers are different. They can dry out rapidly during a Hungarian heatwave, particularly on south- and west-facing balconies. Check them frequently and water when the upper compost begins to dry.

If a potted nasturtium wilts dramatically in afternoon heat, do not immediately assume it is dying. Check the compost first. If it is dry, water thoroughly and the plant may recover surprisingly quickly.

8. Flowers, Leaves and the Kitchen

One of the joys of nasturtiums is that they are both ornamental and edible.

The flavour

Fresh leaves and flowers have a peppery, slightly mustard-like flavour. Young leaves are usually milder than older ones.

How to use them

•  Scatter clean petals over a summer salad.

•  Use whole flowers as a colourful garnish.

•  Add young leaves sparingly to sandwiches or salads.

•  Use unopened buds or young green seed pods in small quantities for pickling experiments.

Only eat flowers and leaves from plants you know have not been treated with unsuitable pesticides or other chemicals.

9. Keeping the Flowers Coming

Pick and deadhead

Removing faded flowers helps keep the plant tidy and can encourage continued blooming. If you regularly pick flowers for salads or small vases, you are already doing part of the job.

Do I need fertiliser?

Usually not much. If container plants clearly become exhausted late in the season, a very light feed can help, but avoid heavy high-nitrogen feeding.

Too many leaves, not enough flowers

First check light levels. Then think about soil fertility. A shaded, well-fed nasturtium may produce a jungle of leaves and remarkably few blooms.

10. Aphids, Caterpillars and Other Visitors

Nasturtiums are famous for attracting aphids. That can sound alarming, but it is also one reason gardeners sometimes grow them near vegetable beds.

Aphids

Check soft shoot tips and the undersides of leaves. Small colonies can often be squashed by hand or washed away with a firm jet of water. Ladybirds, hoverfly larvae and other beneficial insects may also arrive to feed on them.

Caterpillars

Cabbage white butterflies may occasionally lay eggs on nasturtium leaves. If you do not mind sharing a few leaves, this can become a fascinating little wildlife lesson. If damage is severe, inspect plants regularly and remove caterpillars by hand.

Yellowing leaves

A few old yellow leaves are normal. Widespread yellowing can point to overwatering, poor drainage, exhausted container compost or simply the natural ageing of the plant late in the season.

11. Nasturtiums in Pots and Balcony Boxes

Compact Alaska TT Salmon is almost made for containers.

Choose a useful pot

Use a container with drainage holes and enough volume that it does not dry out within an hour on a hot balcony. A wide pot or balcony box works beautifully because the stems can soften the edges.

Position

Give the pot as much sun as possible. In a fiercely hot, enclosed balcony, a little afternoon protection can reduce stress, but do not move the plant into deep shade.

Companions

Try nasturtiums with herbs, compact tomatoes, marigolds or other summer annuals. Their round foliage is especially useful beside plants with fine or upright leaves.

12. Companion Planting - Useful, but Keep It Sensible

Nasturtiums are often recommended as companion plants in vegetable gardens. They can attract pollinators and they may draw aphids away from some neighbouring plants.

That does not mean they create a magical pest-free zone. Companion planting works best as one part of a diverse garden rather than as a guarantee.

Where I like them

•  At the edge of raised vegetable beds.

•  Near beans and courgettes where pollinating insects are welcome.

•  Around the sunny edge of herb beds.

•  In pots beside edible crops on a terrace.

13. Saving Seed

Once you stop deadheading a few flowers, the plant begins making seed. Nasturtium seeds are wonderfully easy to recognise because they are large and knobbly.

When to collect

Allow seed to mature as fully as possible. Mature seeds often drop from the plant, so check beneath the foliage regularly. Collect firm, developed seeds and dry them thoroughly in an airy place before storage.

Storage

Once completely dry, keep seed in a labelled paper envelope somewhere cool, dark and dry. Write the variety name and year on the packet.

If you are growing only one nasturtium variety, saved seed may give you plants reasonably similar to the parent, although variation is always possible.

14. A Simple Nasturtium Calendar for Hungary

MARCH  Plan containers and beds. Indoor sowing is possible late in the month if you have strong light.

APRIL  Begin direct sowing as soil warms and frost risk decreases.

MAY  Main sowing and planting month. Keep young plants watered while they establish.

JUNE  Continue sowing for later flowers. Watch for aphids and begin enjoying the first blooms.

JULY  Peak growth and flowering. Water containers carefully during heat.

AUGUST  Keep picking flowers, deadhead, and leave a few blooms for seed.

SEPTEMBER  Enjoy late flowers and begin collecting mature seed.

OCTOBER  Flowers may continue until frost. Collect remaining seed and clear plants after frost.

NOVEMBER-FEBRUARY  Store dry seed and decide where next year’s salmon-coloured plants will go.

15. Your Nasturtium Cheat Sheet

•  Botanical name: Tropaeolum majus.

•  Annual in Hungary.

•  Compact habit, around 30 cm high.

•  Salmon-coloured flowers and variegated foliage.

•  Sow directly outdoors from spring to early summer.

•  Best in full sun.

•  Ordinary, not overly rich soil.

•  Water regularly while establishing and during heat.

•  Avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.

•  Excellent for pots, balcony boxes, edging and raised beds.

•  Flowers and leaves are edible when grown without unsuitable chemical treatments.

•  Watch for aphids and caterpillars.

•  Collect mature seed in late summer and autumn.

16. And Then One Morning…

There is a flower.

At first, the plant was only a chunky seed pressed into the soil. Then came a stem, a few round leaves and a little mound of green. One morning, tucked beneath those leaves, a salmon-coloured bud begins to open.

Soon there are more. The creamy splashes on the foliage catch the light, the flowers sit above the leaves like little flags, and bees begin visiting the bed.

You pick one flower and carry it into the kitchen. Another stays outside for a pollinator. A third is left to make seed for next year.

That is the charm of nasturtiums. They are generous plants. They give colour, food, movement, wildlife and seeds without asking you to become an expert first.

One last walk around the garden

We began with a large wrinkled seed. We gave it warmth, light and ordinary soil. We learned not to drown it in fertiliser, kept it watered through Hungarian summer heat, watched for aphids, tasted a flower, and saved the first mature seed.

Now you know enough to grow nasturtiums confidently in a border, raised bed, terrace pot or balcony box.

Until then, enjoy the salmon flowers. And whenever you are ready to grow something new…

Come into the garden with me.