Originally Posted by
dakotamaid
I love straw flowers, geraniums, inpatients, and marigolds for annuals. Although I don't plant marigolds close to the deck as they attract bees!
I learned that the Impatiens throughout the country has been stricken with a blight. I had beautiful Impatiens last year (here in St. Paul, Mn) and my cousin in Milwaukee lost over 100 plants (his favorite) due to the blight. I talked to our local nursery and I told her I wanted a specific kind and she is ordering them for me (Impatiens - Cranberry - sort of a brownish red) but suggested that I plant something between the Impatiens should they get the blight and die off. Good Idea!!!!! Now what do I plant that spreads like Impatiens and possibly have to remove the in between replacement plants because I didn't get the blight? Just thought I'd tell you what is going on with Impatiens in case you want to change your mind. I'm not going to change my mind. I have a new deck going up out front as soon as this stupid snow melts - another lambaste last night - and the cranberry color will match the colors of the deck decorations.
I will probably do some tomatoes, zinnias, marigolds, some hanging petunias. Whatever! I love 'em all. I do want to get a plant, though, that I got last year in Wisconsin. It is a wire plant. Really neat - ground cover, very very thin stem with little leaves and the stem looks like wire. It just creeps wherever it wants to go. Love it! I have Correopsis, Sidalcea (white - gorgeous - has a black throat - reseeds itself) and Calendula in yellow and orange (reseeds itself). I have mostly Impatiens, however, because the yard is shady (Thank you next door neighbor with your two huge Ash trees - with all respect to the Ash, maybe the Ash Borer will attack it this year). Don't get anymore grapes, no sunshine, it's just sad! I don't like ash trees anyhow. I have my Ginkgo out back and cluster paper birch out front. And this year I will be watching for my white Magnolia to bloom. Got it as a memorial from my sister in law when my husband died last year. It was beautiful last Spring. Now I just hope for this spring. It is still covered in about two feet of snow.
Excuse for babbling on. Gotta get back to sewing my quilt now. Have a nice day, all of you. Edie