Impatiens have always been the go-to flower for summer gardens. Then downy mildew arrived and they all but vanished. Now they are back, with new disease-resistant busy lizzies as well as hardier, all-weather Sunpatiens and container New Guinea types.
Good to know: What all impatiens have in common is that they grow best in well composted soil that drains well. For heavy soil, add extra compost and other organic material (milled pine bark, peanut shells) to make it lighter. Plants don’t like compact soil, so avoid stepping on it when working in the garden. A light mulch (dried leaves, bark, peanut shells) will keep the soil moist for longer.
Here’s a guide to help you pick the impatiens that best suits your garden or patio.
Sunpatiens (interspecific impatiens) is robust enough for gardens that get plenty of sun, with some shade in the afternoon. They also grow well in shade. These are tough plants, with large flowers, a strong root system, sturdy stems and disease resistant dark green leaves. They tolerate heat and humidity as well as lots of rain. Sunpatiens are suitable for landscapes, borders and also containers.
Try this: Sunpatiens ‘Compact Rose Glow’ or ‘Compact Deep Rose’ are new colours in the compact series. The densely branched plants produce a mound of flowers, amply filling a container. A good choice if you want a showy patio plant.
Growing tip:
Plants in full sun should be watered daily in summer. They are forgiving plants (the beauty of all impatiens). If they flop because of lack of water, they bounce right back after watering. The best time to water is early or late afternoon when the plants are not heat stressed.
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Busy Lizzies (Impatiens walleriana) are the traditional low-growing, spreading bedding impatiens. They are good for gardens with more shade. They can be planted in beds that get some morning sun, but mostly light shade or dappled shade. In deep shade they may become leggy.
Try this: ‘Beacon’ is the new generation busy lizzie that can be planted without the risk of it dying from Downy Mildew. Like the earlier bedding impatiens, it is low growing (30cm high and wide), produces masses of flowers, and has the same long flowering season from early summer to first frost. Like the bedding impatiens of old, plants do not require any special care.
Plants are identifiable in stores from other varieties by a colourful ‘Beacon’ label. It is available in the following colours: rose (new colour) bright red, coral, orange, salmon, violet, and white.
Growing tip:
Impatiens ‘Beacon’ likes consistently moist but not soggy soil. After planting, feed with a liquid fertiliser and then once a month.
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New Guinea impatiens (impatiens hawkeri) is completely resistant to downy mildew. In garden beds it is exotic and tropical, but really shines in containers and hanging baskets, as a showy patio plant. In addition to their large flowers, many have eye-catching bronze or variegated leaves. Being truly tropical plants, they only take off when temperatures warm up from midsummer onwards.
Try this: ‘Clockwork’ is an upgrade of the ‘Celebrette’ New Guinea pot impatiens Plants have the ideal compact growth (25cm high and 30cm wide) for patio pots and planters that receive partial shade. It has a wide colour range, including the two-tone Pink Star and Orange Stripe. Plant in a good quality potting mix, with a controlled release fertiliser. Water pots once a day in midsummer and feed with a liquid fertiliser once a month.
Growing tip: Although New Guinea impatiens tolerates more sun, their roots should never dry out. Plants that dry out drop their flowers and buds.
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