Busy lizzies (Impatiens walleriana) have long been staples of the shade garden, at least until a dozen years or so ago when the normally reliable crop became better known for wilting and defoliation thanks to impatiens downy mildew (Plasmorpara obducens). With that change came a drop in demand for the once popular crop, but not a shift in gardeners’ love-affair with it for coloring-up the shade.
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Sun- and Shade-Lovers for Spring Through Fall
Sakata Ornamentals brings reliable flower power across a wide range of conditions with three new Impatiens × hybrida hort SunPatiens. New introductions include Compact Deep Red, Vigorous Sweetheart White, and Vigorous White Improved.
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Got Impatiens! Try a Combo
During a recent Beacon Impatiens video update, Kris Carlsson, Portfolio Manager for PanAmerican Seed, gave viewers a preview of a new formula mix for 2022, which will join the six existing colors (Bright Red, Violet Shades, Salmon, Orange, White, and Coral) and Red White mixture already in the series. Another new addition to the high-resistant Beacon Impatiens series is ‘Beacon Rose’. One of the highlights of the update was some container combo ideas for retail featuring Beacon impatiens mixed with other ornamental varieties such as grasses, coleus, hypoestes, begonia, and salvia. Photo: PanAmerican Seed
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Early to Bloom Sun or Shade Performer
The Spectra series of vegetative New Guinea Impatiens from Syngenta Flowers offers large flowers, excellent branching, and intense colors. Uniform mounded habits and good performance in both sun and shade give growers versatility for use in all pot sizes and hanging baskets. New colors in the Spectra series include Bright Red, Magenta, Orange, Pink, and White.
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Mix and Match Pairings for Shade or Sun
Dümmen Orange’s Better Together program brings together Great Falls Coleus with I’Conia Hybrid Garden Begonias, Magnum New Guinea Impatiens, and Interspecific Big EEZE Geraniums to make exciting planters and hanging baskets for maximum flexibility. Garden centers can coordinate the combinations by taking advantage of the one-to-one balanced ratio of these tough summer-loving plants which are suited to full sun, partial sun, and shade. (Note: Better Together combo pictured does not include Magnum New Guinea Impatiens) Photo: Dümmen Orange
Plant breeders got busy and in 2019 debuted some of the first Impatiens walleriana with proven resistance to impatiens downy mildew at California Spring Trials. The wait for the beloved garden impatiens to rejoin the spring landscape in all their dependable glory was over. In the meantime, new selections in the New Guinea impatiens and hybrid impatiens categories continued to expand, resulting in limitless possibilities for reclaiming the shade. Check out the slideshow above for a closer look.
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Expect to see some brand-new selections in impatiens debuting at California Summer Trials 2021 from these participating breeders, and keep an eye out for the New Variety Guide in the August issue of Greenhouse Grower to see more impatiens and shade items for retail sales in 2022.
015New Impatiens and Shade Options to Debut at CAST 2021