America's favorite shade annual is impatiens, and this formula mix of four of the very best colors in the popular Xtreme series is certain to become your go-to for bedding and containers. Utopia Mix is just what you need to brighten shady areas and bring hummingbirds in on the wing.
Just 8 to 10 inches high and wide, this plant has an impact far exceeding its compact size. Mounded and very well-branched, it sets large 2½-inch blooms all over the fresh green foliage, facing upwards and open wide for maximum showiness. Expect the first buds to open before spring is out, and the final flowers to stretch into autumn in most climates.
This mix contains lavender, rose, salmon, and violet, a good mix of both warm and cool tones. Each color is a bit unusual for the Impatiens family, offering a nice alternative to the more commonly found red, white, and pink shades. All are very free-flowering, and need little attention from you to continue blooming for months on end.
Give Utopia Mix ordinary well-drained garden soil or a good quality potting mix (for containers). It needs little special treatment, and is quite tolerant of extreme heat and humidity. (Hence its series name.) This is one plant that won't melt out in those grueling August days, and can survive heat waves that last for weeks.
Make Xtreme Utopia Mix an integral part of your annual beds in partial to full shade, and grow a few extra to tuck into mixed containers, the front of the foundation, and other patches of bare soil that inevitably creep into even the most well-planned gardens. You will find this annual a carefree choice that always looks good.
Sow seeds indoors in late winter in a warmish (70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) room. Do not cover; they need light to germinate. If starting them in the Bio Dome, which we recommend, just place one seed on the top of each Bio Sponge instead of dropping it into the hole. Germination can take up to 3 weeks, but once the seeds sprout, they grow readily.
Transplant when the seedlings have at least 2 sets of true leaves and outdoor temperatures are about 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and no colder than 55 degrees at night. Impatiens is quite low maintenance, but give it well-drained, rich soil and feed it well for quickest and best flowering. Deadhead for even faster rebloom.
