Quick Guide: summer, tender, sun, height: 23cm/9in, width: 23cm/9in

Familiar even to non-gardeners, Impatiens walleriana or busy lizzie is a short-lived perennial native to Africa. Usually grown indoors or in a greenhouse, dwarf hybrids between l. walleriana and l. sultanii can be used in outdoor bedding schemes and are ideal for tubs and windowboxes. They are admired for their dense foliage and five-petalled flowers of red, pink or white which appear throughout the summer.

GROWING Set young plants out in early summer in well drained soil in a sheltered position. Pinch out the growing tips to promote bushy growth. Dead-head regularly.

PROPAGATION Sow seed in pans in spring at 16-18°C/ 61-64°F. Prick the seedlings off into boxes when they are large enough to handle, then into individual 7.5cm/3in pots of compost. Harden off before planting out.

VARIETIES The Imp strain includes varieties in white, shocking pink, carmine, scarlet and purple; `Tangleglow', orange; `Zig Zag', striped.

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS Aphids infest leaves and stems. Slugs may damage seedlings.