Impatiens are a garden favorite because they deliver long lasting color in shade. Reds, pinks, lavenders and pure white Impatiens will brighten any dark corner throughout the growing season. Impatiens have indeed become a garden standard.
The breeders at Ball Horticultural Company have recently introduced two new series of Impatiens that are testing very positively. They are both released under the Simply Beautiful brand name: Simply Beautiful Fusion™ series and Simply Beautiful Fanfare™ series.
Simply Beautiful Fusion
The Fusion Impatiens series has the distinction of offering the first yellow Impatiens flowers. It took breeders years to isolate and stabilize Fusion Impatiens ‘Glow’ from its wild parent, but it was worth the effort. From their efforts creating ‘Glow’ came a whole series of exotic warm colors. Fusion ‘Radiance’ is coral with a rust center. Fusion ‘Infrared’ is a darker coral with shades of yellow and orange. Then there’s Fusion ‘Sunset’ in apricot with a maroon center and Fusion ‘Heat’ which is a stunning rusty orange with a yellow center. The series looks almost tropical.
The Fusion series still has the non-stop blooming power of traditional Impatiens, but the flowers are an interesting cup shape with a deeper colored center. Ball likens them to orchid shaped flowers.
Mature plants will reach 12 - 16" in height and width.
Maintenance of the Fusion Impatiens Series
The Fusion series is as undemanding as common Impatiens, but since these annual flowers are going to bloom until frost, you’ll want to give them a rich, well drained soil to grow in.
- You can amend the soil with organic matter or use a slow-release fertilizer when planting.
- Mulch after planting and give them a light feeding every 6 - 8 weeks.
- Fusion Impatiens enjoy a little sun in the morning, but prefer afternoon shade.
- Heat and humidity don’t seem to faze them.
- If they should begin to look leggy toward the end of summer, Fusion Impatiens can be rejuvenated by shearing them back by about 1/3. New growth and flowers will follow shortly.
To find a garden center that carries the Fusion Impatiens Series, check the Simply Beautiful website. Keep reading to learn about the trailing Fanfare Impatiens Series.
