Old Fashioned Garden Balsam
You will find varieties in white, pink, rose, red, orange, lavender, purple as well as combinations of colors. Start your seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost if you'd like early blooms, but they can also be direct seeded in the soil when frost has passed. Balsam transplants well, even when in bloom, which is a definite plus if you tend to plant too many and need to make room, as I have been known to do on occasion!
Though balsam has very short stemmed blooms that can't be used as traditional cut flowers, they can be cut and floated in glass bowls for a pretty summer accent. The blooms are similar to small open roses or camellias. Though the bedding impatients, available in garden centers are far more popular, I think Garden Balsam is a lovely old fashioned plant that should be added to everyone's garden.
