Last summer I thought maybe it was time to see the doctor. First I began to see roses growing in the shade. Then I began seeing double. After rubbing my eyes and getting a closer look, I realized I was looking at some of the new double and semidouble selections of impatiens. The flowers on these mounding plants look like tiny rose blooms.
From a distance, the blooms on the Fiesta white impatiens look like large puffs of cotton. Upon closer inspection you can see layers of silky soft petals.
Impatiens have always been the most popular shade annual for Southern gardens. The good news is that the new doubles and semidoubles are as simple to grow as the single selections. They're excellent for the novice gardener because once planted, occasional waterings are all it takes to keep these plants perky throughout the hot summer. The plants tell you when they need a drink. When their foliage begins to droop, it's time to water. Just a sprinkle of slow-release 12-6-6 fertilizer will give your plants a little boost.
The double and semidoubles aren't new to nurseries. They've been around for years, but some of the older selections were susceptible to tomato spotted wilt virus and performed poorly in the landscape. This scared a few growers away. Today's selections are just as tough as the singles and have been bred to grow stronger stems, which help support the heavy and numerous clusters of blooms.
We tried a few of the new Fiesta Series double impatiens to see how they would perform in our garden. The Fiesta Series comes in nine colors ranging from white to pink to red and orange. We planted the White, Pink Ruffles, Lavender Orchid, and Burgundy Rose. They mounded well and didn't get rangy looking. In fact, they were left in the ground through the fall and performed well until the first hard frost in late October. A new semidouble selection named Victorian Rose also worked well in the garden. This All-America selection winner has fewer petals than the doubles, but it still puts on a multipetaled show. Fluorescent pink flowers top the deep green foliage on these hardy plants.
If you're tired of planting the same old single impatiens, try some of the new double and semidoubles. They'll give you twice the show, and they're simple to grow.
