I have a shady garden where I've managed to grow nothing but ferns until this year. We had a very harsh winter for Zone 9, so I dug up the mostly-dead ferns and planted impatiens, having little hope they'd do anything but survive for awhile. They are gorgeous! Do they reseed like say, periwinkles? I want them back next year--do I have to start all over with new flats or will I be surprised with some new babies next spring?
They do here in Indiana but not many. I will have 2 or 3 show up in a bed every year. Sometimes I find one in a large pot on my porch so I'm thinking the birds must eat the seeds. I may just be cleaning up my beds and mulching them before they sprout here.
I have hundreds of impatiens that have self-seeded. They just reseed from year to year. They form seed pods very quickly. You can also save the seeds for use next year. I have to weed them out I have so many but I love them for their constant color and because I don't have to plant them. They like morning sun but will bloom in the shade. They compliment ferns and hosta very well. one small area of self-seeding impatiens ( photo / image / picture from gfreiherr's Garden )
Impatiens Oh my, Gail--look at that gorgeous bed of impatiens!! I'd be so thrilled if mine came back like that. I have had zero success with seeds of any kind so maybe I'm not ambitious enough to actually save seeds--but these in your garden are just volunteers? I wonder if Gardentoad is right about cleaning up and mulching her garden before they have a chance to get going. I do that in early spring too, and know I'm guilty of ripping out and/or smothering stuff with mulch (then remembering later...wait. I PLANTED that!) You're in a similar climate, Gail. Do you remember when you first start to see signs of life?
Thank you, I love all the colors mixed together. Mine start to germinate in early April, and I am zone 7 so you may see them earlier. Mine are allready producing mature seed pods. When they get fat and light green pop the seed if they are white they are not mature, when they are brown they are mature. They will start to self seed in a few weeks. Its the seeds that mature in Sept & Oct that end up on the ground that will germinate in the spring.
Impatiens Let me be sure I get this. I see tons of seeds pods. If I pop these now I'll have new plants in a few weeks, right? Do I do anything to the brown, mature seeds in the fall or just let nature take its course?
Yes, seed pods that pop and work their way into the soil now will germinate in a few weeks or you can scatter them where you would like more to grow. They will form seed pods all summer but the ones that form late in the season lay dormant until the soils warms up in the spring. I do save some I just pop the seeds onto a paper towel, let them dry out for a day and then fold up the piece of paper towel and store them in a container in the garage. They will pop on their own but when I see they are mature I throw they in the garden so they don't end up in the grass.
Impatiens Thank you so much, Gail! Sounds so easy. I've had no luck with seeds at all, but think I can surely gather some in a paper towel when they mature and throw them back in that shade garden next spring. I'll play with seed pods in the morning. Something new to try, and that's just fun.
Impatiens Or not. No popping going on, and I'm pretty sure those are seed pods. Are they not ripe enough yet? Not to be defeated I made about 50 cuttings and stuck them in a compost mix. Not yet for the seeds? Type verrrry slowly and use small words, lol.
I wish Impatiens would self-sow more readily here! They are a must have annual for me every year! I do find them occasionally pop up from seed, probably depending on the winter conditions. (none this year!) Gail, your Impatiens are just beautiful! "Dazzler mix" Impatiens ( photo / image / picture from Kay's Garden ) white Impatiens in the Hosta bed ( photo / image / picture from Kay's Garden )
