The black flies were formidable foes, but we accomplished a lot in Marjorie’s garden over the three-day weekend. We left the garden on Memorial Day at dusk, a few drops of rain raising our hopes for a nightlong soaking of newly planted tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflowers and onions. Annuals purchased a week earlier were finally in their containers, including two large terra-cotta pots of nasturtiums that will spend the summer on the porch steps.

These first potted nasturtiums are a new variety, “Night and Day,” a mix of ivory yellow and mahogany flowers on bushy plants that grow from 16 to 20 inches high. We also plan to grow a trailing nasturtium mix with flowers in red, rose, orange and yellow, perfect for cascading from porch rails or baskets. Both of these varieties have typical nasturtium foliage, rounded leaves like those of water lilies, dark green with lighter veins. Variegated-leaf forms also are available, including the Alaska series, a bushy type, and Jewel of Africa, a trailer.

Nasturtiums, Tropaeolum majus, are easy to grow. Now that the soil has warmed, seeds can be sown directly in the garden or in containers and will germinate quickly, in 10 days or less. Soak the seeds overnight, and then sow them 1/2 inch deep and 8 to 12 inches apart in the garden, a little closer in pots.

Nasturtiums love full sun, but not drought, so keep the soil moist. This is particularly important for plants in containers; allowing the soil to dry out will cause leaves to turn brown and the plants to stop flowering.

The soil should not be too rich or your plants will produce more leaves than flowers. Digging 3 or 4 inches of composted manure into the garden soil is perfect; no additional fertilizer should be needed throughout the season. For growing nasturtiums in containers, we make a mixture of two-thirds potting soil (Pro Mix) and one-third compost. Again, no additional fertilizer required.

Deadheading fading flowers before they can form seedpods will stimulate your plants to continue flowering, as will picking the fresh flowers to eat. In fact, all parts of the nasturtium plant are edible. The flowers lend a sweet, spicy taste to salads while the leaves, high in vitamin C, have a peppery tang. Pickled seedpods are an inexpensive substitute for capers.

Toward the end of the summer you can allow the seedpods to mature if you want to save seeds of a favorite variety for next year. Keep in mind, however, that if you are growing several varieties of nasturtiums in the same garden, they will cross-pollinate and produce hybrid seed.

Those who enjoy nasturtiums, in the garden and at the table, are in good company. Beginning in 1774, Thomas Jefferson grew them as part of his Monticello vegetable garden, eating the pickled seeds. Monet allowed large swaths of nasturtiums to ramble along the path at Giverny.

Nasturtiums will always grow in Marjorie’s garden. I cannot imagine a summer without trailing nasturtiums cascading down the porch steps, their bright blossoms poking out of masses of foliage, hummingbirds dusting their faces with pollen as they sip nectar from the long spur on the underside of each funnel-shaped flower.

Send queries to Gardening Questions, P.O. Box 418, Ellsworth 04605, or to

rmanley@ptc-me.net. Include name, address and phone number.