Poor Man's Orchid

I rely on this generously self sewing annual as though it is a perennial. It fills in deep shady spots in my garden, and often pops up in sunny places as well.

Aunt Jeannie shared the seeds with my Mom decades ago. She called it "Poor Man's Orchid",

It is also known as Balfour's Touch Me Not, Balfour's Impatien, or Impatiens Balfourii, and can be purchased in seed catalogs.

You may not be able to find this for sale in nurseries because in my experience this plant can be fussy about being transplanted. From seed however, it grows beautifully and multiplies!

I have discovered that it will show up in pots I have left nearby, so I have taken to leaving a few leftover nursery pots near my plantings as a way to easily create new starts for moving around the garden and sharing with friends.

Originating around the Kashmir region of the Himalayas, it grows naturally in cool moist climates.

Here are a few reasons I love this delightful annual:

• Long lasting blooming season (beginning late spring and going into fall)
• Charming orchid like blossoms
• Attractive foliage
• Performs well in deep shade
• Self sowing (generously)
• Attracts butterflies and humming birds
• Easy to grow
• Works well combined with other plants in the border.
• Entertaining exploding seed pods

That last "benefit" on the list is one of the novelties of this plant. When the seed pods are fully mature, they burst open when touched gently, much to the delight of guests, and especially my kids when they were little. As long as you don't get a seed in your eye, this is great fun.

New plants in spring

Drawbacks:

• Prolific seed production, but young plants are easily pulled out.
• Needs regular watering, but do not over water.
• May need staking when grown as a massed planting, as shown here. Grown as a single plant, they will develop a sturdy shape, but in a wall of plants they will tend to become tall and spindly. 
• Because it is an annual, plants will die after first frost and need removal. Obviously this means there is no attraction for the winter garden.

Just more photos...

A seed pod almost ready to burst

As a backdrop for Astilbe