/latest/flowersA gardening expert has revealed the identity of the one plant that he recommends everyone grows in their garden.
Joseph Clark, who offers horticultural advice on TikTok claims the “simple” plant is suitable in any patch – no matter how big or small. Showcasing his own, he explained: “They are super simple and easy to grow, and once planted out will pretty much look after themselves. But the main reason I grow them is for organic pest control. They are a magnet for slugs and other critters, which helps keep them away from your more prized crops.
“Not only that, cabbage butterflies love to lay their eggs underneath their leaves, which again keeps them off your brassicas and other more valuable plants.” But what is the plant in question?
Nasturtiums. “They can be seen all over my garden,” Joseph enthused, before revealing more of their benefits. “Not only are nasturtiums a very pretty and easy to grow flower, they are possibly the most useful plant I’ve got in the garden,” he explained.
Not only that, every part of the plant is completely edible, which Joseph describes as “delicious” when added to a summer salad, owing to it’s taste which is “similar to rocket”.
Praising the plant further, Joseph revealed that once you have planted one or two, you are likely to have them in your garden “pretty much for life”. He continued: “While they will die back each year, they will self seed.
“The following spring you will notice lots of little nasturtium seedlings popping up in that area. Thin them out and keep the strongest to start the cycle all over again.”
So when is the best time to get your nasturtiums? “Now is the perfect time to pick up a few cheap nasturtium plants from the shops,” Joseph noted. “Or even better, sow some seeds to plant all around the garden where each year they’ll grow, bloom, self seed to return every spring giving you an endless supply all from a few cheap plants.”
Proving Joseph’s point, one TikTok user responded: “I till my garden once a year, I planted these guys once, 10 years ago. I’ve never had to reseed. They are currently growing now. Once they drop seeds they live there now.”
A second hailed nasturtiums’ impact: “We put them in the veg patch as a distraction snack for the pests. Works perfectly.” A third person added another benefit: “I’ve got a bunch in purple and a white/yellow colour as they are so good to hide dodgy fencing too.”
A fourth exclaimed: “I did not know these were edible!!! And natural pest control… get me some seeds in nowwwww!” Whilst a fifth claimed: “The flowers are sooo good on a hard boiled egg openfaced sandwich.”
