Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
9/24/99 - This week our picture is of impatiens (Wallerana), which is Gertrude's Flower Garden's greatest friend. "Busy Lizzy," "Patient Lucy," "Patient Plant," and "Sultana," as it is known in various gardens all over the world is a close relative of garden balsam (Balsamina). Both plants thrive for me, because they tolerate shade and some sun; in fact, balsam does well in sunny beds, whereas, impatiens does not. Originally, impatiens flowers were bright scarlet in color, but through hybridization they now come in many colors and other varieties, such as New Guinea impatiens.
At first I saved the seeds of balsam, which are very sinilar to those of impatiens (described below). Eventually, I found that balsam self-seeded, so that I had only to be careful that its seeds were permitted to mature and scatter. Of course, in the springtime, I have to move the tiny seedlings to where I want them. Balsam can grow tall, so that it needs to be set part way back in the beds. Its flowers bloom close to its stem, and its leaf structure makes balsam look like a tiny palm tree. The flowers have a color range similar to those of its close relative, impatiens.
Impatiens also can be depended on to self-seed, and in previous "Weekly Diaries" I have written of transplanting these "volunteers." Impatiens seedlings, however, will flower much later than plants grown indoors, so that I don't depend on "volunteers" as I do in the case of balsam. Impatiens roots very easily in water, and at first I took cuttings, from plants that I had brought into our sun-room, to grow new plants for our spring garden. Eventually, I found that it was easier and more efficient to grow impatiens from seeds. Impatiens seeds are tricky little fellows, however, and require care in gathering them. The seed pods of plants of this species help their own distribution by "popping" when touched and flinging their seeds away from the mother plant. Gathering impatiens seeds, therefore, requires some care and preparation on the part of the gardener.
I use a small brown paper bag and arm myself with a small pair of scissors. I check most of the flower-beds where there are impatiens and look for ripe seeds, which are the larger ones that have become a lighter green in color--if you pick them too soon the seeds are immature, and if you wait too long they will have "popped" and been scattered. Don't touch the seed pod, but hold your opened bag beneath the seed and snip it off, allowing the pod to drop into the bag. Often the pods will "explode" as they touch the bag, but, whether they do or not, the bag can now be put away in a dry place until you are ready to plant the seeds. Remember than when you select the plants from which to take seeds you are choosing your colors for next year. I try to get a good selection of all colors, but if you have preferences, you can choose seeds accordingly.
10/1/99 - Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
9/17/99 - Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
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