When daylight shrinks and borders fade to grey, one small, reliable plant can keep patios and window boxes smiling.
As nights lengthen, many readers ask how to hold on to colour without a heated greenhouse or pricey lighting. The answer sits in the shaded corners of British gardens and on countless kitchen sills: impatiens, better known as busy lizzies, a humble stalwart that pushes out flowers when fussier favourites give up.
The shade-lover that keeps going
Impatiens earn their keep by flowering in places most bedding plants avoid. They prefer dappled shade, tolerate cool snaps, and keep producing buds when temperatures hover around 10°C. In sheltered city courtyards and bright, un-scorched rooms, they can show off for much of the year. Petunias and geraniums hog the headlines in summer. Busy lizzies quietly work a longer shift.
Kept above 10°C, in bright shade and evenly moist compost, busy lizzies can bloom in every month of the year.
Colour options are broad: cherry red, fuchsia, salmon, tangerine, lavender and clean white. Compact varieties create neat domes in pots and baskets; more vigorous types fill troughs and underplant taller shrubs. Thick, fleshy stems handle breezy patios and the odd bump from children or pets far better than many delicate bedding plants.
What to buy right now
Garden centres and supermarkets often sell 9–12cm pots for under £5, and multipacks for less during end-of-season clearances. Two main choices suit most homes:
Type
Best for
Light
Notes
Impatiens walleriana (busy lizzy)
Shaded patios, north/east windowsills
Bright shade, no harsh midday sun
Compact habit, masses of small flowers
New Guinea impatiens
Roomier pots, conservatories
Bright, indirect light
Larger leaves and flowers, slightly thirstier
Where they thrive
Outdoors in the UK
Place pots where they catch morning light and afternoon shade: east-facing thresholds, under a deciduous tree, beside a fence, or beneath taller perennials. In milder regions and protected courtyards, many plants flower into late autumn. When frost threatens, move containers to a porch or unheated room that stays above 10°C.
Indoors without special kit
Busy lizzies suit bright rooms away from direct midday sun. A north or east window, a bright landing, or a conservatory corner suits them well. Turn the pot weekly for even growth and keep away from hot radiators that dry the compost.
Care that pays back all year
Water and feeding
Impatiens adore moisture but hate soggy feet. Use peat-free multipurpose compost mixed with 20–30% fine bark or perlite for air flow. Line the pot base with a thin layer of gravel to improve drainage. Water when the top centimetre feels dry; in warm rooms that can mean little-and-often sips, not a weekly drench. Feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser every two weeks in active growth, reducing to monthly in the darker months.
Moist, airy compost is the sweet spot: never bone-dry, never waterlogged.
Light and temperature
Ideal indoor temperature: 15–22°C.
Safe minimum for ongoing bloom: about 10°C.
Light: bright shade or filtered sun; avoid scorch behind south-facing glass.
Humidity: moderate suits them; place trays of damp pebbles nearby in dry, centrally heated rooms.
Pinching, deadheading and repotting
Pinch soft tips every few weeks to encourage bushier growth. Most modern varieties self-clean, but removing faded blooms speeds the next flush. Repot one size up when roots circle the base; choose wide, not deep, containers because the root system is shallow.
A word on disease and how to avoid it
Busy lizzies once suffered badly from downy mildew outdoors. Breeders responded with more tolerant lines such as ‘Beacon’ and ‘Imara’ that perform well in UK conditions. Sensible hygiene still matters. Buy healthy plants, avoid overhead watering late in the day, space pots for air movement, and remove any yellowing leaves promptly.
Water the compost, not the foliage.
Quarantine new plants for a week before grouping them.
Clean snips between plants if you’ve trimmed diseased material.
The 12-month impatiens plan
Autumn to winter
As temperatures slide, move pots indoors or into a frost-free porch. Reduce watering frequency but keep the compost lightly moist. Shift to monthly feeding. If space is tight, take 6–8cm tip cuttings, remove the lower leaves, and root them in water or damp compost on a bright windowsill; they usually root within 10–14 days.
Late winter to spring
Increase light gradually. Resume fortnightly feeding when days lengthen. Pot on rooted cuttings, keeping them snug above 15°C. Pinch once to set compact shape.
Summer
Move extra plants outside once nights stay well above 10°C. Keep them in bright shade, water in the morning, and rotate pots weekly. Mix colours for a painterly effect under roses or alongside hostas and ferns.
Common mistakes that cut blooms
Letting compost swing from parched to sodden, which stresses roots.
Parking plants in full midday sun that bleaches leaves and petals.
Using heavy, airless compost that holds water and invites rot.
Over-potting; large, cold volumes of wet compost stall growth.
Neglecting to pinch tips, which results in leggy stems and fewer flowers.
Cost, combinations and simple wins
A pair of small plants often covers a 30–40cm trough for under £10. Mix a pastel variety with white for shade that glows at dusk. For a longer season, underplant spring bulbs like narcissi; once the bulbs fade, the impatiens take over without leaving gaps. In baskets, team them with trailing ivy, creeping jenny or bacopa for texture and spill.
Extra mileage for curious gardeners
Try a simple viability check before winter: take three tip cuttings, root them in water and three in compost, then track which method is quicker in your home. Note dates, rooting times and subsequent flowering. This tiny experiment helps you tune care to your conditions and saves money next year.
If pests nibble leaves, start with the least intrusive fixes: hand-pick slugs after rain, set beer traps away from pets, or use copper tape on pot rims. Aphids yield to a lukewarm shower or a mild soap spray. Busy lizzies are generally regarded as non-toxic to pets, which makes them a safe pick for family spaces. With simple routines and a cool head during cold snaps, they repay the small spend with colour that shrugs off the calendar.
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