another cottage garden favortite

 Balsam

(Impatiens balsamina)

Yet another old fashioned favorite flower that is popular for the cottage garden. This is one that I used to grow as a little girl. I remember getting to pick out a packet of flower seeds when I was about eleven and nurtured these from seed. This year I started these a little late outdoors in pots, but they grow fast, and I am now reaping the rewards of pretty blooms. My seeds were from Burpee seeds Hierloom collection.

I copied this description from Better Homes and Gardens website, it so accurately describes this lovely heirloom.

Once a favorite of Victorian gardens, this old-fashioned annual adds an exotic, almost gaudy touch to the garden. It offers interesting, trumpet-shape blooms, mostly in shades of pink. Many selections have bicolor flowers. Balsam often self-seeds in the garden and is very easy to grow.

Plant established plants outdoors in spring after all danger of frost has passed. Balsam needs rich, well-drained soil to do best, so work in plenty of compost. (It's ideal in containers as long as you don't let the plants dry out for even a second.) Fertilize lightly but regularly.

Light:

Shade

Plant Type:

Annual

Plant Height:

1-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-2 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Easy to Grow

I didn't notice when I took this pic, that there 

was a visitor inside the flower:)