My last post which on Argyreia nervosa (Elephant Vine), where I follow it skywards as it scrambled up the wall. For this post, I've decided to be more down-to-earth and shall feature one of my favourite bedding plants; Impatiens walleriana. It is extremely easy to propagate from cuttings. We simply pinched off any leggy stems and stick them into some potting material. Within a few days, it produces blooms as fresh as ever.
The moniker 'Busy Lizzy' for this plant is most apt as they flower almost non-stop. Masses of flowers are produced at low height, making them good bedding plants and excellent for use as ground cover.
Peachy orange with dark green leaves.
Some have lime green foliage.
A variation is Powder pink flowers. This has sprouted in between some Caladium leaves.
A tiny Zizula hylax pygmaea (Pygmy Grass Blue) reposed contentedly on a leaf.
A juicy caterpillar of the Common Lime strangely ended up on this flower.
A grasshopper on Alpinia purpurata stem overlooking a bed of Impatiens.
The Magdagascar Periwinkle complement them as low border plants for a grassy pathway to the pool.
Your plants are so gorgeous. Everytime I visit your blog you are showing what we only can see in a botanical garden overcovered with glass roofs and walls.
ReplyDeletehave a wonderful day Stiletto
Thanks Marijke for all the sweet words - you are much too kind :)
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful plants for the tropics. I especially love the shrimp plant as it is quite unusual but popular with several of our birds here:)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to be able to plant Impatiens in the tropics.
DeleteThe shrimp plant is a good specimen as the blooms(yellow bracts)last like forever while the actual white flowers last only a few days. The birds in my garden do not go near them, perhaps it's because there are so many others to choose from.
I just love these annuals. I used to have many different colours but haven't grown any lately. I have a pack of seeds that I've been meaning to start, but haven't gotten around to it as yet. As a child I liked to touch the ripe seedpod which would pop open. You should try the double varieties which are beautiful as well. I tried New Guinea impatiens on a few occasions and have never been successful. They all declined rapidly, so I'll stick with regular impatiens.
ReplyDeleteThe ones that I've planted in my garden are the hardiest. I've tried planting many other types, single or double-petalled but they failed to thrive. So, like you, I'm sticking close to my regular ones too - no stress and a happy gardener :)
DeleteYou have such a beautiful garden! It must be so relax to sit there! The impatient look so fresh!
ReplyDeleteThanks Malar. My garden has 'bad hair' days too. The secret to successful cultivation of impatiens is to place them in the right sites in the garden - partial shade and with sufficient watering.
DeleteThe Busy Lizzy is one of my favourite bedding plants for all the reasons you mentioned, masses of brightly coloured flowers in many shades. I have an orange, a red, a deep pink and a white, all blooming beautifully in partial shade. Your garden looks lovely,you must water quite frequently to keep them looking this healthy!
ReplyDeleteNice photo of the Grasshopper,..hope it didn't eat many leaves!
I'm envious that you could plant all those lovely varieties while I not able to. I had all those too but they have been composted. On hot days,the Impatiens gets to drink twice a day. Grasshoppers are definitely not my friend, but I tolerated them for the sake of photography.
DeleteHi tumit tinggi..sorry long time no visit here..
ReplyDeletethe last photo.looks very nice and tidy..
the yellow flower hubby said candle flower..right ?
Congratulations on your freshly minted sweet baby! I think I know what your husband mean, but its not that candlestick flower which is frequently seen in Malaysian kampungs and countryside. This one is more delicate.
DeleteHi Elsie, we have lots of those too, but i guess you have more attention given to it than we do. Our shrimp plants are growing tall as hedges at the street sides.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly more attention as the varieties that I have are hardy and floriferous. They only need to be pinched more frequently for compactness and watered more than once during the hot season. Shrimp plants are great.
DeleteCudowna i pięknie kwitnąca roślina. Ma śliczne kwiatuszki i uroczo wygląda u stóp innych kwiatków. Pozdrawiam.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous and beautiful flowering plant. It has beautiful flowers and lovely looks at the feet of other flowers. Yours.
I like your phrase of the Impatiens being at the foot of other plants.
DeleteI can always find a place for impatiens in my garden :) I love the photo of the caterpillar on the flower petals, what an amazing colour combination.
ReplyDeleteI've not seen caterpillars munching on the Impatiens flower petals so I was rather perplexed to see one resting on top of it.
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