Nasturtiums, I wish they were perennials.

I love Nasturtiums and Yarrow.

What kind of annuals and perennials do you plant that are hardy and or borderline invasive?  Oh, and useful.  submit some pics if you have them.

Mint is a plant I use that I consider hardy and invasive.  It will take over large areas if given the chance.  I use it around my main guild trees.  I nearly always have rings of daffodils and comfrey around my trees, so I use those to contain my different types of mint.

An example of one I stopped using is trumpet vine.  I love it for the fact that it draws hummingbirds, but I have found it impossible to contain.

I love nasturiums and yarrow as well. At my last place in the Bay Area, I had a sheltered spot where the nasturiums stayed alive year round. I'm trying to get some started up here in Oregon, but something keeps eating them. I have wild yarrow, but it's all white. I would like to plant some colorful yarrow as well. There isn't much top soil here, broadcasting seeds isn't really working, so I am planting nasturiums, borage, dill, and cerenthe in hollow logs filled with soil that have been placed over a sheet mulched area. If I can get them to grow, flower and set seed, the plants can do the broadcasting. These plants have self-seeded for me in the past so I'm hoping they will again.

I'm thinking of doing some wormwood, and mugwort as well. Many consider them invasive, but I've always liked them, and found them very useful.

Trace Oswald wrote:Mint is a plant I use that I consider hardy and invasive.  It will take over large areas if given the chance.  I use it around my main guild trees.  I nearly always have rings of daffodils and comfrey around my trees, so I use those to contain my different types of mint.

An example of one I stopped using is trumpet vine.  I love it for the fact that it draws hummingbirds, but I have found it impossible to contain.

Trace, I'm a fan of mint too.

I had an Algerian guy helping me do some work and he asked if he could take some mint home to share with his wife.  They drink mint tea every night and talk about their day.   When I drink tea I like something like Irish Breakfast but I have so much mint I figured I would try it.  I boiled water poured it over a handful of fresh leaves and put in two tables of honey.  OMG was it good.  

Stacy Witscher wrote:I love nasturiums and yarrow as well. At my last place in the Bay Area, I had a sheltered spot where the nasturiums stayed alive year round. I'm trying to get some started up here in Oregon, but something keeps eating them. I have wild yarrow, but it's all white. I would like to plant some colorful yarrow as well. There isn't much top soil here, broadcasting seeds isn't really working, so I am planting nasturiums, borage, dill, and cerenthe in hollow logs filled with soil that have been placed over a sheet mulched area. If I can get them to grow, flower and set seed, the plants can do the broadcasting. These plants have self-seeded for me in the past so I'm hoping they will again.

I'm thinking of doing some wormwood, and mugwort as well. Many consider them invasive, but I've always liked them, and found them very useful.

Very cool idea with the hollow logs.  I will have to look up cerenthe, never hear of it.

Maybe consider doing a cover crop of clover or something to build your topsoil.  I think Yarrow is pretty tough though...you probably wouldn't need a cover.

I'm using Italian clover in a hugel for a cover crop but I'm seriously considering letting it flower.  It is so pretty when it flowers.

Hi Scott,

Yes Nasturtiums are annuals, but the beauty of annuals is they come up annually...lol! What I mean is they are typically prolific at self seeding, meaning they replant themselves often spreading. If you find your environment isn't conducive to them self seeding, the seeds are very large, and easy to save. It's not uncommon to get 100 seeds from one well established plant. This abundance of seeds lets you spread the joy around, while growing your own organic matter, and edibles: since the flowers and leaves are both edible.

Food for thought!

Thanks, R. Steele.

I have these things planted all over the place.  I buy the big packs and walk around pushing them into the ground.  I haven't had any volunteer Nasturtiums yet, maybe next year :)

are nasturtiums perennuLs in virginia?

Nasturtiums root easily from cuttings. Bring some indoors before first frost and you can enjoy the flowers in winter. Give them the warmest and sunniest spot, other wise the vines and leaf stems will get very elongated.

Though not considered invasive, nasturtiums can grow fast and carpet a large area: Monet's garden

Maybe not relevant to Virginia, but mashua are in the nasturtium family and make small red/yellow flowers on a climbing vine. They prefer a cool summer temperature and mild winter cultivariable suggests zone 9a and the Pacific North West coast most likely for success. Edible tubers, leaves and flowers on an ornamental climbing vine.....

image from cultivariable