Impatiens

My Impatiens planted this spring, won't last much longer with cold weather.

Here is a photo. For some reason it didn't go through on my first post.

I potted a bunch of Impatiens last Autumn, & they happily blossomed all Winter long in a bright window. I plan on doing the same this year - so nice to have flowers in the dead of Winter! I also collect the seeds, right before the little pods burst open. They grow easily in damp soil, surface sown in Spring.
I am going to try this with the New Guineas, but I have a hunch they will require more light that the regular Impatiens. But they are to opretty NOT to give it a shot-
Julie

I,m going to start some this fall for this winter in my small greenhouse. Here are some I started in late spring and transplanted to a pot early this summer.

They are such pretty flowers aren't they? I hate to see them go. The ones I planted this year were the best ever! I have never seen them spread and get so big! Honestly! They did really well for whatever reason. Mine are still doing great even though it has been getting close to zero some nights.

Dear Dawn,
we had the right rain. and Osmacote. I only had to water my impatiens relentlessly during the week or so of 90-100 degree weather we had here in MA. Mother nature took care of the rest. I put in the leftovers down at the corner of my property back in July and they have even taken off. Not quite as large as the ones I planted in May, but they don't look like half dead sticks and are filling out and blooming. If the frost holds off here for another month, they could get pretty large.
Martha

Here are a couple of left over ones I never got around to repoting but they seem to like it where they are.

I started some from seed too early one year. the plants started to get leggy in the house, so I cut them back, rooted the cuttings and had twice as many by the time it was warm enough to plant them outside. you really can't go wrong..they're so easy.

I am envious of your sunroom - what a great place for plants!

Thats an interior vew of my greenhouse (still under construction) I built it my self in my spare time. Took me about 5 years to get to this point.

bensen, it's wonderful space. your plants are very lucky! looks like you have lots of gardening space outside as well.

gram ~a girl~

Thanks, we have a 5-acre lot and do have a lot of gardening space. The lot was heavily wooded when we bought it in 1976. My wife and I cleared it our self's and we built our house nights and weekends. We even did our own logging for the lumber.

Bensen, I want to come live at your house. It looks and sounds wonderful! You did an amazing job on that greenhouse!

I swear that my double impatiens grew to 2 and a half feet per plant!!! I have never seen that before = weird!

Wow, never mind the greenhouse (which is great)......you built the house yourselves, too. and it looks huge! that fireplace must be gigantic inside, from the size of the chimney..do you heat with it? {if i'm asking too many questions, just say so, but I'm fascinated and VERY impressed}

Just a gorgeous home - Well done!
I have always dreamed of having a greenhouse - one that blends into the house like yours. Even in the dead of Winter, you can't help but feel cheery in a sun filled room.

Thanks nap,
grampapa, the fireplace is normal size but we wanted an extra flue so a woodstove could be added in the basement. Basically there is a flue on ether side of the fireplace, one for the furnace and another for any auxiliary heat source we wanted to add. We use the fireplace more for taking the chill of than actual heating and us it on holidays. We had a retired mason help us with job. We did a lot of bartering when we built the house. I traded work with an electrician, he helped us wire the house and I did some landscaping for him with my bulldozer. My brother-in-law helped us with the carpentry work and when he built his house I put in his driveway and dug his cellar hole.
JRush, I have always wanted a greenhouse.

that's great that you could barter. I know people who are doing something similar. they figure they will have twice the house they could have afforded otherwise. he is a contractor, so he knows a lot of trades people. well, however you got there, it sure looks great!

Question: This is my first year living on the east coast (Pennsylvania). Although I fussed over the garden during periods of extended heat, those Impatiens just flourished. Unusually good year or a good plant for this region?

They will wilt in the midday sun, but Impatiens are pretty tough, considering they have such fragile limbs. As long as they get enough water, they look fresh. While other plants may require more coddling, you can ignore Impatiens - & they just keep looking great :)

Mine are still hanging in there and this time of year I take some cuttings are grow them all fall/winter in my west facing picture window.

Tom

Hey, Tom! Welcome aboard. Isn't Dave's Garden a great place to call home?

Hi Nap, yep it is! Here's some of my impatiens shot last month:

My impatiens completely overtook whatever smallish plant they were next to this year. Never saw such growth out of impatiens before.

They loved the extra rain this year!