Impatients (Busy Lizzy/Touch-me-not) - by @crazymumzysa

This bright cheerful easy growing annual is a must for your garden beds or as a houseplant especially during the summer months. They are popular because they flourish in shade and comes in a variety of colours, brightening up those dark areas.

Impatients are part of the Balsaminaceae family and there are over a thousand species. They are native to Africa, are low mounding plants reaching a height of about 30cm and frost intolerant.

You will enjoy a wide variety of bright coloured glossy blooms (white, coral, red, yellow, orange, purple, pink, violet and multicoloured) from early spring till end of summer and some will even flower all year long (depending on the species and area). The flowers are either single or double petaled and you can also get little rose shaped flowers.

They have a little seed capsule which explodes when ripe by the slightest touch of your hand, releasing hundreds of little sticky seeds, thus the name “Touch-me-not”. I remember how I used to love popping these pods as a child, I thought they were super cool.

Impatients thrives in shade (can tolerate sun) with humus-rich well-drained and moist soil. They need to be watered quite often and use a slow release fertilizer once every second week.

HAPPY GARDENING!

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