Impatiens: Made in the Shade

If You’re Thinking Pink, a New Collection of the Popular Bedding Plants is Available to Brighten Your Garden

They’re the best-selling bedding plant, and they show no signs of waning in their popularity. Though you see impatiens (I. wallerana) often, it’s hard to tire of their cheerful, colorful flowers and rich green foliage.

Shade-lovers, impatiens light up dark corners where most flowers would falter. They grow readily in beds, containers, and hanging baskets.

Perhaps best of all, impatiens tend to bloom just about year-round in Southern California’s mild climate, says Keith Muraoka at Goldsmith Seeds, a Gilroy wholesale hybridizer and distributor of bedding plants.

This summer, Goldsmith is selling an exclusive blend of pink impatiens known as the Accent Miracle Collection. All participating retailers selling these impatiens are donating a minimum of 10% of the proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

There are impatiens in single and double-flower forms. The double flowers look like miniature roses, but they tend not to flower as much as the single flower forms, which create continuous masses of vibrant color.

Impatiens in shades of red, pink, white, lavender, violet, and orange

Impatiens Growing Tips

Keep the following tips in mind when growing impatiens:

  • Light: They need full shade to partial sun. Along the coast, they can be planted in some sun. Inland, they need almost a full day of shade.
  • Soil: Place in-ground plants in rich, well-draining soil. Amend clay soil by 50% with homemade or bagged compost. For containerized impatiens, plant in a potting mix heavy on peat moss (two-thirds potting soil, one-third peat moss).
  • Watering: Never let impatiens dry out between waterings, but don’t keep them constantly soggy. Water when the first inch of soil is approaching dryness.
  • Fertilizing: Keep the plants bushy and healthy by fertilizing every two to four weeks with a well-balanced fertilizer.
  • Propagation: Impatiens can be grown from established plants, seed, and cuttings. Seeds require high heat, while cuttings are easier to grow in warm weather. Keep them moist and protected while rooting.
  • Pests and Diseases: Once established, impatiens aren’t susceptible to pests and disease. However, they do freeze, so protect them when temperatures dip.
  • Pruning: When impatiens become leggy, cut them back to 6 inches. New growth will appear, and the plant will become fuller and flower more.
  • Winter Care: In December or January, when growth slows, cut impatiens to 2 inches from the ground to encourage strong growth in spring. Coastal impatiens will continue to flower year-round but can be pruned if they become leggy.

If they are unsightly after pruning, containerized impatiens can be moved to an out-of-the-way site. In-ground plants can be interplanted with winter bloomers such as pansies and begonias.

To find the Accent Miracle Collection of impatiens with sales benefiting the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, visit miracleplants.com.

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.