Tag: Impatiens
Good News for Shady Gardens
Do you remember Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)? It used to be my number one plant for filling containers all over the shady Back Garden, providing bountiful and vibrant color from May to September. Starting around 2011, though, the scourge of Impatiens Downy Mildew (IDM), caused gardeners everywhere to turn their backs on the stricken plants.
Summer Containers for Shade
Recently there has been a strong movement towards perennials among the containers in our shady back garden. They got tired of buying hordes of annuals in spring, and then again in summer. Oh wait, that was me that got tired. It took me a while to orient myself to perennials in shade containers because I …
Summer Whites
Last post was about white flowers, specifically white flowers in my garden that bloom in spring. Might as well finish my thought and talk about the white flowers of summer and fall.
Summer Containers For Shade: My Year Of Living Dangerously, But In A Boring Way
This summer I defied Impatiens downy mildew and lived to tell the tale. For two years I have avoided Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) because of a widespread and devastating blight that has received extensive publicity. Despite the tidings of doom, my neighbor John planted Impatiens for both of those years with no problems. You can accuse …
The Roots of Plant Snobbery
Recently there have been two excellent posts on the nature of gardeners’ personal plant likes and dislikes, one in The Blooming Garden and the second in Angie’s Garden Diaries. These thought-provoking posts reminded me of a very disappointing experience I had involving impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) and The Wall Street Journal. In March, 2013, I wrote …
Replacing Impatiens In Containers For Shade: Hits And Misses
I wasn’t going to be discouraged by the prospect of doing without impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) due to the devastating blight that has swept the country. Impatiens are a staple for shade containers and beds for myself and many other gardeners. However, I was eager to try out some new plants I had just learned about …
Farewell to Impatiens?
Recently I have read a number of articles and posts about the devastation caused among Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana and related) by downy mildew. While usually just an unsightly nuisance among perennials, this strain is deadly for Impatiens. It can be treated but only if caught early and if you are willing to resort to the …
