Nasturtium Dew

We have arrived at the time of year when the stalwart annuals are bravely hanging on with a last attempt at glory.  If we were perfectly honest, although admiring their persistence, enough is enough and now we need to tidy and would prefer if they just gave up the ghost.   In recent weeks we have quite a few that fall into this category, assisted by the mild autumnal weather.  Naturally I want to postpone any cold snap for as long as possible but, let’s be frank, their days are numbered.  One of the faithful and fearless is the nasturtium.  Unlike many of the gypsies that self seed, wandering unfettered around the garden injecting shots of colour along the way, this one is a specific cultivar, namely “Empress of India”.  It is compact and relatively refined, as an Empress should be I suppose.  The dew on the leaves was looking particularly pretty this morning, for once outshining the shy but vibrant scarlet flowers nestling below.