Specialty Gardening: Container Renovations 2! (smile), 0 by KatG

KatG wrote:
Glen74 - I'm glad your fountain is doing well and you decided to do it. Mine is doing great also - except for the fact it want's to be a spiller container on occasion! hehe. Ummmmmm, don't feel dumb about not drilling the holes - I did the same thing as the entire top used to be planted with impatiens! Only one survived after I realized they were waterlogged!

I've always had the worst luck with New Guinea impatiens down here...it's just too hot - they melt and rot! These however are called Sunpatiens - They're apparently a cross between New Guinea and Wild Impatiens. They're Viva brand and Home Depot has the market cornered on them. I seen them last year and just bought a few plants for fun to see how they would do. Well, they lasted a year in front of my house - (the same sun exposure as the fountain) in extremely blazing afternoon sun and probably would still be there if I hadn't neglected them. They grow tall also - but still keep a nice shape. They're really surviving well in the planter and I think they benefit from letting them wilt a bit as you just get an explosion of blooms. Here's a link for info - I'm probably going to see if I can find some this weekend and replant...I'm hooked!

http://www.vivagarden.com/flowers/sunpatiens/index.html

Not a great photo...but was taken in height of summer...

Kat