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:)
