Friday, June 29, 2007

Impatiens Return




Pretty soon after we moved into our home in 1971, a neighbor of my mom's asked her if she wanted some impatiens. She didn't, but told me about it. So I called the neighbor, Tom Norris, and he told me to come get all I wanted. They volunteered and came back each year under some cedar trees he had along his back yard. He sat out in the yard and talked with me as I dug up what I wanted. I planted those and watered them well until they got a start. Every year since, these little impatiens come back . Over the years I have moved some of them around in my yard. These are under and around a rose bush at the end of the covered porch in back of our house. I have them in a line along the Azaleas next to the driveway. They come up everywhere. I find them in cracks of my steps, flower pots, birdbaths, anywhere the seeds have gone. You can have impatiens earlier by going to the nursey to buy plants, but I am content to wait until June for my babies to return. Since the weatherman is predicting rain for us tonight and tomorrow, I think this evening would be a good time to thin some out and start some in new places.

8 comments:

Little Penpen said...

I have always been amazed with all your impatiens that just pop up everywhere. I never knew you got them from Tom Norris... a nice part of the story to know. Be careful outside thinning them out today; it is HOT!

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

That's amazing and lucky! I've never had my impatiens come back, I wish they would. Your's look very pretty!

Manuela

Debbie J said...

I had some impatiens in pots on my back porch in the shade and every year they would come back up from seed like yours. I didn't buy any plants for several years, but one year somthing happened to them and they didn't come back. I need to buy some more plants and start that process back over again! Yours look great!

Anonymous said...

So these spread? My little one brought me a single stalk in a tiny pot which is sitting on my window sill in full sun. Probably not a good place for it? I had no idea these spread and come back. Hmmm... this will be my challenge to keep the little stalk alive this year.

meggie said...

I love the bright faces of the little Impatiens. We had them when we first came to live here, but they seem to have all gone- will hae to get some more seeds.
I left them in a garden of a house we rented once, & the owner made me go back & pull them all out! He wanted bare flower beds, not 'those'. Incredible.

Tracey said...

How lucky are you that impatiens will come back like a perennial flower? We're far too cold up here for anything like that to happen. Pansies, now...pansies try their darndest to please up this way.

Janice said...

They are so beautiful! I didn't realize they would come back like that! Maybe the climate has to be just right and you have it in your location. :o) I guess I could give it a try here. Do you have some freezing temperatures there in winter?

smilnsigh said...

I totally love Impatiens!

Have them in our little Red, White & Blue garden spot, by the front door. Use them in my pots on the back patio. They mound up so nicely and are so happy looking. Without a lot of deadheading and the like.

But I didn't know they could come back. Lucky you.

Mari-Nanci