Balsam Camellia

Impatiens balsamina

 

Pre-1870 heirloom. Beautiful rose-shaped blooms in many colors: pink, lavender, red, rose, white and more. Short bushy plants have large bright green leaves. Very easy to grow. A must for fans of Victorian gardens. 

 

I ordered my seeds from http://www.rareseeds.com/camelia-flowered-mix-balsam/ and started about half of the seeds in starter pods in the greenhouse during the last week of March.  Then in mid-May, I finished the packet of the remaining seeds by planting in a second seed starting tray.

 

After repotting the seedlings, I planted them in pots placed around the yard and I've also shared transplants with family and friends.  I am excited to see the results in different settings.  Hopefully, everyone will keep me posted with photos and the progress of the flowers in their own gardens.

 

And once tropical storm Andrea decides to leave the area, I'm planning to get the second batch planted directly into a corner of my herb and vegetable garden to attract the butterflies and bees.

 

If you are looking for more information on growing this impatiens variety, here is a great link http://www.growinginstructions.com/fa105.html to check out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year, my hostas are really suffering from our chickens and the visiting deer munching on them. So hopefully the Balsam Camellia is a plant that they will not all be wanting to snack on, too!

 

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