Problems affecting Impatiens

I recently found out that there are a number of very serious problems affecting the beloved shade-tolerant annual Impatiens. The 2 most serious are Downy Mildew and a virus called Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus.

Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus is not very well understood yet. It is believed to be caused by a small bug called a thrip (also called a thunderfly, storm bug, corn fly or corn lice). The thrip is a very tiny cigar-shaped insect with fringed wings.
The virus causes wilting, stem death, yellowing, poor flowering, sunken spots and/or ring spots on the leaves. But many times the plant dies without showing any symptoms at all.

Downy Mildew causes the same type of damage. Within several weeks of planting, a bout of humid or wet weather can cause perfectly healthy impatiens to suddenly lose all their flowers and leaves and be bare stalks overnight.

Many green houses in the USA have stopped growing and selling impatiens or at least have cut back by 75%.

Last summer this problem starting appearing more often in Canadian gardens.

This is a real shame. Impatiens have long been the most reliable colour annual for shady areas.

What now?

Well, no one is saying not to plant impatiens. The reports are just warning what could happen.
New Guinea Impatiens/Sunshine Impatiens do not succumb to this problem at all.

If you decide not to plant impatiens, here are some good alternatives:

Fibrous or wax begonias were my top performers last summer. Great for sun or shade.

Another wonderful substitute is Tuberous or Rex Begonia. These are gorgeous but quite a bit more expensive.

Coleus has made amazing strides these past years. They now come in a wide array of colours, textures and sizes. They perform best with a bit of shade or in full shade.

Caladium is an indoor plant but I have had much success with its gorgeous pink speckled leaves in shade containers.

Heuchera is another plant that has evolved a lot in the past years. It is a perennial, therefore will cost more up front, but it comes back year after year, so it will pay off in the long run. The reason I mention it as a replacement for impatiens is that it also comes in many multi-colours and stays lovely the whole summer.

Brunnera is another speckle leaf perennial that looks great all summer long.

Variegated Hosta can also add punch to a summer border. Not as much colour as impatiens, but a strong choice to replace the poor little sickly standard.

Please check out my food blog - the latest post is Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes.

Green in the Garden (last of the series)

It seems almost silly to talk about green in the garden. OF COURSE there's green in the garden - most leaves, stems and evergreen needles are green.

But if you look more closely, you'll notice that the green of spring is fresh and lime-coloured. Summer green is mature, deep and lush. Many green leaves turn a completely different colour altogether in fall.

Green makes shady places look cool and fresh. I'm lovin' all the different names too: pea, olive, fern, bean, lime, kiwi, mint and ivy.

Brunnera has small blue flowers in spring but the rest of the summer its variegated leaves are a stand-alone focal point.

Euonymus, Love-in-a-Mist and variegated Hosta show different shades of green as well as different textures.

Hostas and painted ferns

Lots of different shades here beside a calm, reflecting pool.

Silver-y blue/green of the nest spruce sets off the greens of hostas, ferns and shrubs

Green leaves spill over a patterned indigo wrought-iron fence

Such cool variegation!

I have always loved striped Miscanthus grass and have it many spots throughout the garden

Huge swaths of pachysandra surround a dogwood bush.

Look at the texture-mania happening here!

One of my autumn favourites: multi-coloured layered kale beside a big rock, surrounded by periwinkle, lamium and miscanthus.

Please check out my food blog - latest post is Very Crispy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Elaine and the Gnome

"Elaine and the Gnome" is not the name of a summer blockbuster movie. They are both stone statues in my backyard.
Elaine is my beautiful statue on the west side of the yard. I purchased her years ago at a lovely nursery near Kitchener. Her tag said ELAINE so I have always referred to her as that. Her head is bowed, as she feeds the birds seeds from her apron.
I leave Elaine out over the winter even though she is made of cement. She is on a slab of flagstone so has never suffered frost damage or cracks.

Over the years, the Elaine bed has filled in and is now lush and full. It contains some of my favourite combinations as well as 11 hostas.

When we moved here, my friend gave me a white gnome as a "joke" housewarming gift. She knew I didn't care for gnomes but I have kept him over the years (well hidden away!). Still, the garden bed he's  in bears his name: the Gnome Bed. It also contains a few lovely combinations.

Let me show you how the Elaine bed looks right now

We have had enough rain that everything is plump and lush and full. Most hostas are mature enough that they have reached their maximum height and spread. Some are 3-4 feet in diameter! And many have just started to bloom.

I am really enjoying a new type of plant I bought in the spring: Chinese Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis var. Pumila). The leaves are similar to regular Astilbe but the flower heads look puffy and soft. They are a gorgeous shade of fuschia.

The Brunnera 'Jack Frost' continues to look lovely and the annuals fill in the faded bulb areas.

The Bergenia cordifolia has put out fresh, glistening leaves.

And a wonderful dainty deep pink clematis (maybe "Princess Diana"? I have lost the tag) winds its way through the pussywillow branches.

The Gnome bed is just inside the gate as you enter the backyard. You'll notice the Gnome himself is tucked waaaay back into the foliage :) This bed consists of Japanese Painted Fern, a perennial geranium, phlox, a small leaf blue Hosta and some annuals. The bed is surrounded by junipers, climbing roses and euonymus.

I leave you with a few more parting shots of Elaine……..

Please check out my food blog - the latest recipe is for Peach Pie.

Spring is REALLY emerging…at last!!

I just walked the property, with my camera around my neck, and here's what's emerging in my spring garden (hyacinths above):

Bleeding Hearts - Dicentra spectabilis

Crabapple 'Profusion'

Chionodoxa and Scilla

Climbing Hydrangea

Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'

Primrose

Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)…an Ontario Wildflower

Trillium…another Ontario Wildflower

Forsythia

Pink Lady Quince - Chaenomeles sup. 'Pink Lady

Viburnum Burkwoodii

Muscari

Peony shoots

Please take a look at my recipe blog - the last posts are Red Peppers stuffed with Saffron Rice and Pine Nuts as well as Broccoli and Potato Soup.