Nasturtiums: Easy Climbing Annuals for Every Garden

Nasturtiums Were Once a Part of Every Garden – Sow Them in Yours Today Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) are ornamental climbing plants that will brighten any garden with their vibrant flowers and lush foliage. These easy-to-grow annuals have been beloved by gardeners for generations, and it's time to bring them back to your garden beds and balcony boxes. Why Grow Nasturtiums? Nasturtiums offer far more than just visual appeal. They're among the most versatile plants you can grow in your garden: Edible flowers and leaves – Both the flowers and young leaves have a slightly peppery taste and are perfect for salads and decorating dishes Easy cultivation – They thrive in poorer soil and don't require special care Natural pest protection – They attract aphids away from other plants, acting as a "trap crop" Long flowering period – They bloom from June until the first frost Colorful variety – Flowers come in shades of yellow, orange, red, and even bicolor combinations How to Grow Nasturtiums Sowing: Nasturtiums are sown directly into the ground from April to May, or into pots from March. The seeds are relatively large and easy to handle. Soak them in lukewarm water for a few hours before sowing to speed up germination. Location: They prefer sunny to partially shaded spots. While they tolerate poorer soil, avoid overly rich soil as it promotes leaf growth at the expense of flowering. Care: Nasturtiums are remarkably undemanding. Water them regularly during dry periods, but be careful not to overwater. They don't need fertilizing – excessive nutrients actually reduce flowering. Uses in the Kitchen Nasturtiums are a true culinary treasure. The flowers are perfect for decorating salads, cold appetizers, and even desserts . Young leaves add a spicy kick similar to arugula. You can also pickle the unripe seed pods to create a substitute for capers. Garden Tips Try growing nasturtiums as companion plants for vegetables – they're excellent near tomatoes, cucumbers, or cabbage, where they help deter pests. They're also perfect for balcony boxes and hanging baskets , where their trailing stems create beautiful cascades. So don't hesitate and sow nasturtiums in your garden this year. You'll be rewarded with beautiful flowers, tasty leaves, and a naturally healthier garden.

Snapdragons (lat. Antirrhinum) belong to the figwort family (lat. Scrophulariaceae) of plants. The snapdragon genus includes around 40 species of these plants. The homeland of snapdragons is North America. Here these plants grow as perennials. They spread to Europe in the 16th century. Many species of snapdragons grow in the Mediterranean, from the coast of Turkey to France. In our region, the common snapdragon (lat. Antirrhinum majus) has become naturalized, along with cultivated varieties and hybrids bred from it. Our grandmothers loved growing snapdragons in their gardens. Today, you too can enjoy their interesting flowers.

What do snapdragons look like?

At first glance, you'll be captivated by their very interesting flowers that resemble animal snouts. Perhaps this is why snapdragons are sometimes colloquially called bunny mouths or little frogs. The flowers are arranged in an upright raceme. The color palette of the flowers is very diverse – primarily shades of white, yellow, orange, purple, pink, and red. Multicolored flowers of snapdragon cultivars are not uncommon either. The fruit of snapdragons are capsules containing seeds. Snapdragons grow to heights from 10 cm up to 100 cm, depending on the species. The stem is upright, leaves grow opposite, alternately in the upper part, and have an ovate shape.

Species and cultivars of snapdragons

According to stem height, snapdragons are classified as tall, medium, and dwarf. Trailing snapdragons have been specially bred for planters. There are many interesting cultivars on the market that differ mainly in flower color.

  • Tall snapdragons grow to a height of approximately 60 – 90 cm. Representatives of tall snapdragons include cultivars such as Brighton Rock, Madame Butterfly, and Supreme Double. Tall snapdragon varieties will stand out beautifully in large beds alongside zinnias and phlox. They also look impressive near various shrubs.
  • Medium-height snapdragons reach 30 to 60 cm when mature. Well-known cultivars of medium-height snapdragons include Vanity Fair, Coronette, and White Wander. Medium-height snapdragons create a charming impression when densely planted with different colored flowering plants in one bed.
  • Dwarf varieties grow to a height of approximately 20 cm. A representative example is the Tom Thumb cultivar. A proven use for dwarf snapdragons is planting in containers or edging flower beds – snapdragons will create a beautiful border for you.
  • Trailing snapdragons were bred most recently; their stems are not upright like other types but grow in a trailing manner. They can be up to 40 cm long. The ends of the trails are adorned with colorful flowers. A representative of trailing snapdragons is, for example, the Candelabra variety. Trailing snapdragons are primarily intended for planting in hanging containers, but they can also beautifully decorate various walls with their trailing habit.
  • Double-flowered varieties are the absolute pinnacle among snapdragons. Their flowers have an even more interesting shape than classic snapdragons. The colorful clusters of double-flowered snapdragons look absolutely stunning in flower beds.

Advocates of a pure single-color style can choose orange-pink snapdragon seeds, which grow to a height of around 80 cm. A group of these snapdragons will stand out in any garden. For lovers of cheerful colors, a mixed snapdragon seed pack containing the most beautiful color combinations is ideal. You just need to choose whether you want tall, dwarf, trailing, or perhaps double-flowered. All of them will bring you joy.

Growing snapdragons

Snapdragons love sunny locations. They thrive well in well-drained, loamy-sandy soils with sufficient calcium. Their water requirements are moderate. Plants grown in beds are less demanding in terms of watering because loose soil dries out more slowly than soil in containers. Plants in containers need to be watered regularly depending on the weather.

Snapdragons bloom from June until September. To ensure snapdragons bloom beautifully for a long time, fertilize them during the season with liquid fertilizer designed for balcony plants. Another trick for abundant flowering is timely pinching of the central shoot and removing spent flowers. Thanks to pinching, the plant will branch beautifully and create more stems with raceme inflorescences. Spent flowers won't unnecessarily exhaust the plant, so it can continue blooming boldly. However, leave a few flowers on the plant so seeds can form. Snapdragons are special in that they don't cross-pollinate easily, so they maintain the color characteristics of their parents.

Snapdragon seeds often self-sow. In spring, you may therefore be surprised by an unexpected bounty of young snapdragon seedlings. Although snapdragons are perennial plants, in our climatic conditions they must be resown annually because they are not frost-resistant and won't survive winter. If you don't want to rely on self-seeding, sow snapdragons in February to March in a seed tray or in a cold frame. Seeds germinate best at temperatures between 18-20°C. Germination time is around 14 days. Germinated plants are susceptible to damping-off, so sow them sparsely and ventilate the growing areas well.

Don't overwater the substrate. As prevention, you can sterilize the substrate with heat before sowing or disinfect it with a special disinfectant product. Transplant mature seedlings to their final location in the second half of April. Mild frosts shouldn't threaten the plants, but it's still safer to cover them with, for example, horticultural fleece.

Interesting fact for allergy sufferers

Snapdragon flowers hide pollen very deep in the flower, so they don't irritate allergy sufferers and can therefore be safely grown near homes.

You might also like

We need your consent to use cookies so that we can, among other things, show you information related to your interests.