If the impatiens in your shady bed are yellowing, stunted or dropping leaves, take a closer look before planting the same thing there again. Downy mildew is one possible cause, especially in a damp, crowded planting. The original article described a particularly wet summer when plants did not have much chance to dry out. Those symptoms alone do not prove mildew, though; poor drainage and other problems can look similar.
Check the leaves before replacing the bed
Look at both sides of a few leaves, including ones that still look fairly healthy. Pale leaves, leaf drop and a whitish growth underneath may point toward impatiens downy mildew. If the plants are failing, remove the affected material rather than leaving it among the other shade plants. Do not count on a short dry spell to clear a disease from a bed. If you are unsure what you are seeing, an identification from a local extension office is more useful than guessing from a photograph.
It’s easy to reach for impatiens again: you already know where they fit, and there are plenty of colors to choose from. But if a bed has had a recurring problem, repeating the same planting may mean repeating the same disappointment. Notice whether water sits there after rain and whether the plants are pressed close together. Those observations will help when you choose what goes in next.
Keep the shade colorful with a different plant
The earlier post suggested begonias, caladium, fuchsia, lobelia and torenia. They don’t all want identical conditions, so match the choice to the amount of shade, drainage and summer moisture in that particular bed. Caladium brings color through its leaves; begonias and torenia can bring flowers to a partly shaded spot. Fuchsia needs a suitable site and careful watering in hot weather. Try a small group first if you don’t yet know how a new choice behaves in your garden.
You can also combine annuals with perennials rather than replanting the whole space every spring. Our article on planning a shade garden looks at the bed as a whole, while coleus for foliage color offers another way to brighten a shady planting without relying on impatiens blooms. Give whichever plants you choose enough space for air to move between them, and check the soil before watering again.
