Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are such striking annuals I wish they would grow here all year.  They come in both clumping and climbing (or running since they do not actually climb on their own) types and I grow both.  There are narrow windows here in the spring and the fall when they grow happily and even reseed when they have the chance.  They come in all the warm colors, red, orange, yellow and pink.  My favorites are the clumping Empress of India and the climber Moonlight.  Empress of India has smaller, bluer leaves with reddish flowers, while Moonlight looks as it sounds, the palest of yellows, and can grow quite vigorously, with leaves 4 inches across running 6 feet across the garden.  In rain, they are wonderful as the leaves hold raindrops.  Too bad that both frost and heat kill these back.  Another advantage to these is the ease in maintenance, do nothing beyond poking the seeds in the ground.  The roots come up with a tug for disposal at the end of the season.  I like nasturtiums enough that I sat through the third Lord of the Rings movie solely because a gardening friend said the nasturtiums were not to be missed.  Bother, they were in the final scene in a Hobbit garden and only seen for a minute or two.  Not worth the hours of watching and waiting when I have as good just outside the door.