Overview

Discover the joy of growing your own vibrant and versatile flowers with our Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds. This unique mix offers a delightful array of colorful blooms, known for their cheerful appearance and peppery, edible flavor. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) are incredibly easy to cultivate, making them an excellent choice for both novice and experienced gardeners. The Whirlybird series is particularly prized for its upward-facing, spurless flowers that stand out beautifully against its lush green foliage. These dwarf nasturtium plants are perfect for adding a splash of color to garden beds, containers, or even hanging baskets, providing continuous blooms throughout the growing season. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, nasturtiums are a fantastic culinary addition, with their leaves, flowers, and even immature seed pods offering a zesty kick to salads and other dishes. They are a true garden workhorse, combining beauty, edibility, and ease of care in one delightful package.

Our Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds are open-pollinating, meaning you can save seeds from your healthiest plants to grow again next year, preserving their unique characteristics. These nasturtiums are known for being fast growing flowers, quickly establishing themselves and rewarding you with a profusion of blooms. They are also remarkably resilient, exhibiting a good degree of drought resistance once established, which makes them a low-maintenance option for busy gardeners. Plant these seeds in late winter or early spring and watch your garden transform into a vibrant, edible paradise. The compact, bushy habit of the Whirlybird series ensures a neat and attractive display, whether you’re planting them as a border, groundcover, or a charming accent in your patio pots. Embrace the simplicity and bounty of these wonderful garden gems.

Key Benefits

Growing Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds offers a multitude of advantages for any gardener looking for both beauty and utility in their outdoor space. These versatile plants are a fantastic addition, providing continuous joy and a touch of culinary flair.

• Vibrant Edible Blooms: Produce a stunning array of colorful, upward-facing flowers that are entirely edible, offering a peppery flavor perfect for gourmet salads, garnishes, and culinary experimentation. Enjoy edible nasturtium flowers and leaves fresh from your garden.
• Fast and Easy Growth: These seeds germinate quickly and the plants grow rapidly, providing beautiful blooms in a short amount of time. They are ideal for beginners and those seeking quick garden rewards, making them truly fast growing flowers.
• Drought Resistance: Once established, nasturtiums are quite tolerant of dry conditions, reducing the need for frequent watering and making them an excellent choice for water-wise gardening. These are truly resilient drought resistant plants.
• Compact Dwarf Habit: The Whirlybird series is known for its bushy, dwarf growth habit, making it perfect for containers, window boxes, borders, and smaller garden spaces where space is a consideration.
• Open-Pollinating: These seeds come from open-pollinated plants, allowing you to save seeds from your own harvest to plant in subsequent seasons, fostering a sustainable gardening practice.
• Attracts Pollinators: The bright, cheerful flowers are a magnet for beneficial pollinators like bees and hummingbirds, contributing to a healthy garden ecosystem.
• Pest Deterrent: Nasturtiums are often used as a trap crop, drawing aphids away from more valuable plants, and their strong scent can deter other common garden pests.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Successfully growing Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds is straightforward, even for beginner gardeners, thanks to their forgiving nature. To ensure robust growth and abundant blooms, proper planting and ongoing care are essential. Start by sowing seeds outdoors after all danger of spring frost has passed, when soil temperatures reach at least 55°F (13°C). For an earlier start, you can sow seeds indoors 2-4 weeks before the last frost and transplant them carefully once outdoor conditions are favorable. Choose a location that receives full sun, meaning 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily, as this promotes the best flowering. While they can tolerate partial shade, flowering may be reduced. These dwarf nasturtium plants thrive in well-draining soil. Interestingly, they prefer poor to average soil rather than overly rich soil, which tends to produce more foliage and fewer flowers. Avoid fertilizing, as this will also lead to an abundance of leaves at the expense of blooms.

Before planting, you can optionally soak the Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds in warm water for 4-6 hours to help speed up germination. Plant seeds about ½ inch deep and space bushy types 10-12 inches apart. Vining types, if you choose them, require 12-18 inches spacing and benefit from support like a trellis or fence. Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil. During growth, keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Once established, nasturtiums are fairly drought-resistant, but consistent moisture will encourage better flowering. Overwatering can lead to root rot. Germination typically occurs within 7-14 days at an ideal soil temperature of 55-65°F (13-18°C). These are truly drought resistant plants once they’ve settled in.

Nasturtiums generally require minimal ongoing care. As mentioned, avoid fertilizing. If you have vining varieties, provide support. Deadheading, or removing spent flowers, is not strictly necessary but can encourage a longer blooming period. While nasturtiums are generally pest-resistant, keep an eye out for aphids and caterpillars. The good news is that both the leaves and flowers are edible, offering a fresh, peppery taste. Harvest young leaves and flowers regularly for salads and garnishes. Remember, a key to abundant blooms is planting in full sun and in poorer soil, avoiding excess nitrogen. This simple approach will ensure you enjoy beautiful and delicious edible nasturtium throughout the season.

Size & Details

This offering includes a complete seed packet of Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds, typically containing 10 seeds, ready for planting. These are dwarf, bushy nasturtium varieties that generally grow to a compact height of 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) with a similar spread, making them ideal for small spaces or container gardening. The seeds are open-pollinating, ensuring genetic integrity for future harvests. Expect a relatively fast growing flowers timeline, with germination occurring within 7-14 days under optimal conditions and flowering beginning approximately 35-50 days after planting. The plants will continue to produce blooms until the first hard frost. These seeds are perfect for cultivating dwarf nasturtium plants that provide both ornamental beauty and a delicious culinary ingredient.

The plants are annuals, completing their life cycle in one growing season, but will readily self-seed in favorable climates. They are suitable for growing across most USDA zones as a warm-season annual. The mature plants exhibit a neat, mounding habit, making them excellent choices for front-of-border plantings, rock gardens, or as a vibrant groundcover. Each seed has the potential to grow into a robust plant, offering multiple flowers and leaves for harvesting. The ease of cultivation and resilience, including their status as drought resistant plants, make them a rewarding addition to any garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Whirlybird Nasturtium plants get? A: These are dwarf nasturtium varieties, typically growing to about 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) in height and spread. They have a compact, bushy growth habit, making them suitable for various garden settings.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds are primarily for growing outdoors. While you can start them indoors, they thrive in full sun and are best enjoyed in outdoor garden beds, containers, or hanging baskets.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: Nasturtiums perform best in full sun, requiring 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal flowering. They can tolerate partial shade, but may produce fewer blooms.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, nasturtiums are considered very easy to care for, making them perfect for beginners. They are known for being fast growing flowers and are quite resilient, including being drought resistant plants once established.
• Q: What condition will the seeds arrive in? A: The seeds will arrive in a sealed packet, ready for planting. You will receive a quantity of Whirlybird Nasturtium seeds as specified in the product details.
• Q: Can I use nasturtium in cooking? A: Absolutely! All parts of the nasturtium plant – the leaves, flowers, and even immature seed pods – are edible and have a distinct peppery, slightly spicy flavor. They are a wonderful addition to salads and as a garnish. This makes them a fantastic edible nasturtium variety.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: You can expect these fast growing flowers to start blooming approximately 35-50 days after planting, given optimal growing conditions. They will continue to flower throughout the warm season.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Nasturtiums are annuals and will not survive winter in most climates. They complete their life cycle in one growing season. In warmer, frost-free zones, they may self-seed and return the following year.
• Q: Do these nasturtiums need a lot of water? A: After initial planting, keep the soil consistently moist. Once established, nasturtiums become quite drought-tolerant, requiring less frequent watering. They are considered drought resistant plants.
• Q: What type of soil is best for Whirlybird Nasturtium? A: Well-draining soil is crucial. Interestingly, nasturtiums prefer poor to average soil. Rich soil tends to produce more leaves and fewer flowers, so avoid heavy fertilization.