An Old Favourite

Tropaeolum majus

Out of all the old cottage garden favourites I have a real soft spot for the nasturtium, some may think its brash colours are hard to match with carefully considered colour schemes, but for me I can't get enough of their cheerful presence and they are edible too, what's not to like! This year they have exploded into my garden more than ever before largely due to a fundamental error on my part, Tropaeolum majus loves poor soils and will flower well on them, silly me has planted them to grow up wigwams in my raised beds generously enriched with compost and as a consequence they have leaves the size of umbrellas! Add to that all the hidden seeds that have germinated whilst my back was turned and you might have an idea what my garden is starting to resemble. They are all welcome of course and I've stopped the larger plants heading for the hills by pinching out the tips, however I now have to undertake a daily pest patrol for the numerous creatures that wish to feed on all this sappy growth. I am of course familiar with all the usual culprits, cabbage whites, black flies etc but could anyone out their help me identify neat clusters of white eggs laid on the top side of the leaves? To my knowledge all the rest lay yellow eggs on the undersides.

One of my monstrous wigwams!

I have one other gorgeous example of nasturtiums growing in my garden, the flame creeper Tropaeolum speciosum, having grown it in a pot the previous year and achieving only one pathetic flower I allocated it a spot in the border where it has gone bonkers like all the rest. How can anyone resist its crimson red spurred charms.
Finally there is another beauty to show you, though sadly not in my garden, this one adorns the small cotoneaster hedge next to the peach house at Norton Conyers and I covert it madly but don't have the right position for it. Oh well I shall just have to admire it from afar!

Tropaeolum specieosum

"Did you ever think how a bit of land shows the character of the owner?"
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Tropaeolum polyphyllum