Wicked, wild, wet Wednesday

My very first memories of the garden include Nasturtiums. My mother would plant the seeds every March ... she would push them into bare spots over the rockery and in the summer the whole patch would be lit up like a million jewels. Each flower would brightly glow and entice me to go and press my nose into their pretty trumpets and ending up with powdery pollen on me. They smelt peppery and and if I accidentally bruised a stem or leaf the smell became stronger and almost like mustard.

By the time that I was three, I had been told that these beautiful flowers had come all the way from Peru. How exciting to have South American exotic flowers in the garden! I used to think of Peru as being covered in Nasturtiums ...

We had neighbours that would pickle the Nasturtium seeds and use them in place of capers. I would look at their crinkly forms stacked in glass jam jars covered in vinegar but never fancied trying them. Many would use the small freshly opened young leaves, like watercress, in salads and some would even toss the flower heads on top of the salad bowl to brighten up a lunch time meal. I confess that I have since tried the young leaves and indeed the flowers but I have still not been tempted to try a pickled seed.

I have always grown Nasturtiums but the last few years they haven't grown so well and this year, although I planted my seeds in March I have only had three flowers bloom - one red one and two deep gold with orange stripes. What has happened to Nasturtium seeds? Why are they no longer as fertile as they used to be? Do they still grow well in Peru?

Little note: the weather today has been extremely wet, windy and wild ... rain, rain, rain and yes more rain!