Tropaeolum majus

‘Orchid Cassis’

ORCHID CASSIS NASTURTIUMS

Tropaeolum majus ‘Orchid Cassis’
ORCHID CASSIS NASTURTIUMS

Tropaeolum majus ‘Orchid Cassis’ is a beautiful and unusual heritage Nasturtium.

Splashed with droplets of cassis blackcurrant liqueur 

Cassis is a delicious French liqueur made from blackcurrants.
It has a rich, dark, luscious blackcurrant colour – and this is exactly the colour of the blotches marking the petals of our “Orchid Cassis’ Nasturtiums.

With blackcurrant juice seeping into petal edges at first

These heritage Nasturtiums have many charms, including that the flowers change colour substantially from when the buds open to fully mature blooms.

Then blackcurrant washes over the whole bloom

So in Tropaeolum majus ‘Orchid Cassis’, as the flowers mature, the blackcurrant juice colour trimming the petal edges, seeps further and further across the blooms.
Until it completely overtakes the blackcurrant blotches on a canary yellow background that first appears when the buds open.

No two flowers are alike

So all stages of colours and markings are on the plant all at once – Fascinating!
As a procession of flowers open right through the summer and autumn.

Beautiful cassis against sea-blue-green foliage

Sea-blue-green leaves make the perfect cool foil for the cassis and canary yellow blooms.

Mounding Nasturtium with no trailing stems

Gorgeous ‘Orchid Cassis’ is a mounding Nasturtium.
So it does not produce the long stems of a trailing / climbing Nasturtium.
Making it perfect neat growing mound for planting in the veggie patch to harvest flowers; and in a decorative pot or hanging basket for a great show of colour.

Prolific bloomer for months

‘Orchid Cassis’ is a prolific bloomer for many months, so gardener / cooks can enjoy those velvety blooms all through spring summer and autumn – in the garden, the vase and in the kitchen.

Deliciously edible

The flowers, leaves, plus the young seed pods, are all deliciously edible.
So you can add a spicy, peppery flavour to salads and cooking with the leaves, as well as vivid colour contrast, and a sweet pepper flavour with the flowers.

Eat flowers & foliage

Plus the flowers make such a colourful, as well as edible, garnish for any dish.
Try ‘Orchid Cassis’ petals with strawberries – yum for the taste buds and the eyes.
Or shred the leaves into risotto and pesto like basil, and stuff the leaves for dolmades. Yum.

Easy & cheap Capers

Seed pods 0f Nasturtiums are sometimes knick-named “False Capers”, and you can certainly use them as you would Capers, or use the flower buds fresh for their soft mustard flavour.

Useful companion plants in the edible garden

Nasturtiums are valuable companion plants to enhance the growth of cabbages, broccoli, beans, pumpkins and kale. So they all thrive in the company of Nasturtiums.

Help deter nuisance insects

Nasturtiums are also useful “distraction” plants, attracting sucking insects such as aphids and thrips away from your veg and roses.
And ‘Orchid Cassis’ is a traditional “barrier plant” to plant around tomatoes and cucumbers to help ward off destructive pests.

Rabbit & deer resistant

Although we find Nasturtiums delicious fodder, rabbits and deer do not appreciate the peppery flavour as we do.

Bees, birds & pollinators all enjoy the nectar for months

‘Orchid Cassis’ flowers delight and nourish our native Honeyeater birds, bees and pollinator friends for months on end.

Quick from seed to flower 

Tropaeolum majus ‘Orchid Cassis’ is an easy plant to grow in the garden, and quick and easy to germinate from seed.

Easy & low maintenance in the garden

This delightful Nasturtium grows in Full Sun to Part Shade.

Water-wise & drought resistant

And it is low maintenance in the garden – water wise, drought resistant and rarely troubled by any pests or diseases.

Do not overfeed – prefers to grow lean and mean (& tastes better too)

Nasturtiums are natural, low maintenance plants.
Because they grow better, look and taste better, if the are treated a little lean and mean.
So they do not require rich soil, or too much fertilizer or water.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Suitable for beginners, kids & veggie plots

Seed can be sown at any time – directly into the garden as you would sow peas / or in punnets indoors for quick and early results.

Tip for starting Nasturtium seeds quickly: First soak the seeds overnight in a glass of previously boiled, warm (not boiling) water, then sow.
Seeds that have sunk to the bottom by morning have taken water on board and are ready to sow.
While seeds that are still floating will need to be dried and then gently rubbed between 2 pieces of fine sandpaper or with some sand in your hands.
This will nick the hard seed coating and allow moisture to penetrate.

Sow indoors for quick & early plants: Begin by sowing seeds into a punnet / or small pots filled with good quality compost.
Then cover the seed with mix to the same depth as the diameter of the seed.

Now moisten the punnet thoroughly from below, by standing it in a shallow water bath and allowing the moisture to percolate up to the surface of the mix from below.

Nasturtiums love warmth to sprout

Then place the punnet / pots in a well-lit, warm place such as a window sill (not in direct sunlight), or on a heat mat if you have one.
Nasturtium seeds love warmth to germinate rapidly.
So temperatures of 15-20 degrees C. are optimum for rapid germination.

Then seedlings will begin to emerge in 10-12 days approx.

However in the unusual event that your seeds are shy to germinate – wrap the the seed punnet in glad-wrap or a plastic bag.
And place in the fridge (not the freezer) for 4-6 weeks.
This will mimic a winter chill, breaking the natural seed dormancy, and prepare the seeds for germination.

Then remove punnet from fridge, unwrap, and place again in a warm, well-lit place or on a heat mat.

Seed Count: 10 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count, and give a generous serve).

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