A while ago I posted that I had a self-seeded nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) appear in a raised bed. I thought it was interesting because I had never seen yellow-leaved nasturtium before. White-splashed leaves are common enough but yellow was new to me.

Most of the nasturtiums I have grown here over the years have flowers in the ‘fiery’ colour range so I was not expecting pink flowers when, and if, it finally bloomed. In fact there were two seedlings, growing 5cm apart. It is odd that only two of the hundreds of seedlings I have seen (and pulled up) have these pale leaves and both were growing so close together. The seeds are produced in ‘threes’ and it is probable that the two plants grew from two seeds that developed together and dropped down the side of the soil beside the raised bed timber.

Anyway, one plant seems to have odd, poorly formed blooms, though I admit that the plants are small and I stripped them for cuttings. The other has flowers typical of the ‘Phoenix’ strain, which I have grown, though the blooms are smaller.

I managed to get half a dozen cuttings, which rooted well, and the plant re-sprouted and I have taken a second batch at the same time as cuttings of the doubles. Since I knew the doubles would root easily and would overwinter in bright, frost-free conditions I am hoping the same will be true of my yellow plants.

I now need to work out how best to use and grow this plant. And I need to evaluate if it is worth keeping. I think it will be best in part shade and if well fed because it is not a strong grower. But it does grow and doesn’t have a ‘death wish’ like many plants with reduced levels of chlorophyl. So far I have not allowed seed to set but that will be the next job, for next year, to see if seeds set and if they breed true with yellow leaves. If they do then that opens the possibility of a plant with yellow leaves and pink flowers, which I was so pleased this plant was not!

Elsewhere in the greenhouse (well just above the cuttings) Mimosa pudica (the sensitive plant) is becoming straggly. It is one of the first plants I ever grew from seed, as a child. I do not grow it often but it is nice to have it to play with and cause to drop its foliage. The pink, fluffy flowers are pretty when they appear.

A nice surprise is that Scilla madeirensis is coming into bloom. This winter-growing, tender bulb struggles a bit in the greenhouse and will not withstand even the slightest touch of frost – the tender nerines and freesias just about handle the occasional dip below zero. I am also very mean with John Innes compost – these bulbs need a compost with some loam and I am so fed up with paying for bags of rubbish I have not given them the soil they really need in the past. But when repotting them, and the nerines, this August, I gave them better compost. I also liquid-fed them all this spring. As a result the scilla is moderately happy. The nerines are also sending up more flower scapes than in previous years, though that could be down to a warmer summer and a good baking.

mimosa pudica, nasturtium drumgold, tropaeolum drumgold, tropaeolum gold leaf