My Impatiens are Growing Impatient!

My deck planters got a late start this year, as I usually put them in on Memorial Day Weekend, but we had a frost that weekend and I had to hold off till the following Saturday. We went to Home Depot and the choices were long and scrawny from being in their cell packs for so long, but I have faith in my semi green thumb abilities and walked out with over $50 in plants.

I got home and went to work, and was a little disappointed in just how scrawny and naked my planters looked.

But as the weeks went by, with Miracle Grow as my best friend on Sunday's waterings, they began to flourish and made me very proud!

I also mixed some petunias with begonias and a smaller, crawly relative of the petunia, and my front deck planters had dracena spikes surrounded by red begonias and trailings of vinca vine.

One of my larger planters on the front landing was sprouting petunias and snapdragons from last year's seed droppings and I decided to let it go and see what it would do on it's own - I wasn't disappointed!

I grabbed this patriotic beauty at BJs Wholesale Club for only $8 because it was getting on in the season!

With each week that went by, they became more and more beautiful. I also made a hanging plant with some petunias and some trailing flowers and hung it next to a store bought fuscia, which was beautiful.

With summer winding down, some of my impatiens were still looking lovely, while others started to develop yellow spotted leaves, telling me they've had enough for the year. I intended to take them off the deck and put them on the wall in back, intending to chop them down the next day and throw the clippings in the compost pile.

Deer Meal!


When I awoke the next morning, they were chopped down for me! Apparently, deer ADORE impatiens, and had themselves a lovely meal on them! So either way, I guess I was "going green" - while I intended to compost them, the dear enjoyed a delicious breakfast!


I put out the last of the waning impatiens on the wall a week ago Saturday, and when I awoke the following Sunday, my friends must have returned to dine on the last of the summer flowers. I guess I know what I'll be doing next year!!