Impatiens walleriana Glimmer Appleblossom - Busy Lizzie

Impatiens walleriana Glimmer™ Appleblossom (‘Balglimapp’) with pale pink double flowers is an excellent plant for brightening up shaded areas in the garden or on the patio. Its corollas, reminiscent of small roses, bloom continuously from late spring until autumn. This compact and well-branched bedding impatiens is suitable for damp borders as well as planters and hanging baskets. Resistant to downy mildew, it also thrives in humid climates.

This plant belongs to the Balsaminaceae family and derives from the botanical species Impatiens walleriana (synonyms Impatiens sultani, Impatiens wallerana), native to the moist forests and edges of East Africa. In its natural range, it is a herbaceous perennial, but it is cultivated as an annual in our climates.
The cultivar ‘Balglimapp’ belongs to the Glimmer™ series, developed by the breeder Ball. This series comprises double-flowered, well-branched, downy mildew-resistant impatiens; this plant is marketed under the name Glimmer Appleblossom, in reference to the "apple blossom" hue of its corollas. It forms rounded clumps, reaching 25 to 40 cm in height and 25 to 30 cm in width in one season. Its fleshy, green to slightly reddish stems are brittle. The foliage is composed of single, ovate to elliptical, 3 to 8 cm long, medium to dark green leaves, finely toothed with a prominent central vein. The flowers, grouped in small inflorescences, measure 3 to 4 cm in diameter; they are very double, with overlapping petals, with a soft pink centre fading to rosy white at the edges. Flowering lasts from May or June until the first autumn frosts. It is not necessary to remove spent flowers, which fall off by themselves.

In the garden, Impatiens Glimmer Appleblossom can be used to edge a shaded path, as a carpet at the foot of deciduous bushes or in pots on a north or east-facing balcony. It appreciates a humus-bearing, damp soil. It can be paired with the decorative foliage of Hosta ‘Francee’ and Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’, as well as with shade-loving grasses like Carex oshimensis ‘Everglow’. In a shaded bed, it also goes well with a white hydrangea like Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mme Emile Mouillère’. On the patio, create a romantic display by combining several Glimmer Appleblossom plants, a few Begonia semperflorens 'Maxima Rose Bicolor' and a variegated dwarf ivy 'Little Diamond'.

The genus Impatiens gets its name from the "impatient" behaviour of the fruits, which burst at the slightest touch to project the seeds. The epithet walleriana pays tribute to the missionary and naturalist Horace Waller, a plant collector in East Africa.
Recent series like Glimmer™ were developed after severe downy mildew attacks had reduced the use of impatiens in shaded beds. These flowers have made a major comeback in summer displays.

Note: Please be aware, plug plants are products reserved for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, pot them on and store them under cover (conservatory, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C for a few weeks before being placed outdoors once the risk of frost has completely passed.