Impatiens, the workhorse of the garden

Published 11:15 pm Tuesday, June 27, 2006

By Staff
Also called "Busy Lizzie," impatiens are the most popular U.S. bedding plant, noted for its spreading mounds of glossy foliage, constant blossoms, brilliant flower colors and ability to thrive in the shade.
And why not? Busy Lizzie can be grown and used in any garden situation, from bedding, borders, containers and edging to accents, baskets and pouches. A good choice for cottage, formal, small-space and rock gardens.
I've even seen them planted in children's coveralls. Just sew closed the ends of the ankle cuffs and cut planting holes in legs, chest and back.
Start at the cuff scam bottom, as you work up, filling with a good potting soil.
As you reach each slit, pop in another Busy Lizzie, fill with more soil and so on till you reach the neck opening. Cute.
In the genus impatiens there are nearly 500 species blooming from summer until frost.
A tremendously wide range of varieties exists. Heights range from four to 24 inches tall, from a single to a double rosebud type flower and the flowers come in every imaginable color of the rainbow, thanks to plant breeders.
Some flowers have a contrasting eye, some are bi-colored.
And let's not forget the New Guinea varieties with their huge flowers and foliage color variegations.
Care comments: Bedding and balsam impatiens are at their best in partial to full shade; tolerates sun with enough moisture.
New Guinea impatiens do best in full sun to partial shade.
Because of the lush, tender, succulent stems, leaves and flowers, they require even, regular moisture.
This is very important. Impatiens species cannot take the cold, so don't plant them out in the garden until after all danger of frost is past and the weather has warmed in the spring.
Another thing about impatiens is that they don't require any deadheading.
Old flowers will just drop off by themselves. So water and handle with extreme care.
Disease resistant (probably because of glossy foliage to which nothing clings), but because of its tender, succulent stems, foliage and flowers, aphids seem to like them very much. I don't usually find them to be a problem, but if you do happen to find a number of them and they are a problem, I would just take the hose and spray them off.
Perhaps, if you look close enough, you just might find a ladybug hard at work dining.
Remember that plants in containers may need daily watering and fertilizing (one-quart strength) to grow and flower at their best.
They also tend to dry out more quickly and overheat, too.