It was never a problem growing balsams in the good old days. I had them in several colours and with layers of petals. They just came up during the rainy season and adorned our garden. But in the last couple of years or so I do not see them anywhere. The ordinary variety that used to be seen on roadsides has also disappeared. I wish I had taken more care and preserved the seeds.
It has all to do with the changing weather which is so drastic the world over.
Last year my brother gave me a few seeds which he collected from some garden. I had a crop of those and the image here is the balsams produced from those seeds.
We need to take care of our plants lest they should disappear one fine day.
Having said that what I have noticed is there is decreased interest in maintaining gardens. For this scenario there are several reasons.
Here in India we always got help but today labour is hard to come by.
For some it is also the case of shortage of water.
Time is also a constraint.
And most important of all many have diverted from the real life interests to the virtual world where they can see images of gardens the world over.
Even nurseries have stopped selling seeds as they say there is no demand.
I have got my seeds online but quite a bit of them do not germinate as the conditions do not suit them. They are expensive too.
Seeds were never counted and they were sold by weight but today we get a quantity as small as 10 seeds of marigold for a whopping price of Rs. 100/-
It is a risk one has to take as there is no guarantee any from those 10 seeds will germinate.
I miss balsams and I do not know how to get them back in my garden.
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That's a lovely photo. I have never actually seen a balsam plant, let alone grow one. I can see why you want one. :)
Sadly not just balsams many seasonal flowers here, are just disappearing.I had those yellow cosmos that grew almost wild here but now I just do not see it anywhere.
Interesting plants. First time seeing Balsams. Very lovely. Too bad the seeds weren't in demand but at least you were able to find some seeds online.
Not the kind I am looking for. I have not given up but online stuff is very expensive. Nowadays they count the seed and not by weight.
Yes, in may countries balsam is seen rarely because people have left taking in growing Balsams at homes and in gardens. Growing plants and roses in post at homes is the best hobby for those who have enough time to spend in the lap of nature.
Balsam are grown from seed. They can be directly seeded into your flower garden, or seeded indoors in trays or flats for transplanting later. Sow indoor starts about 6 weeks before the last frost. Keep soil moist while germinating.
Balsam requires 60 to 70 days from sowing to produce flowers, so an early start is essential. Learn how to grow balsam and enjoy these lovely colorful flowers through the end of the season. Try growing Balsam plants from seed if you have a long growing season, or pick them up at your favorite nursery. Balsam plant care is trouble-free due to its resistance to many common garden pests.
Start plants indoors for an earlier color show. You may direct sow in warmer climates where soils warm up early in the spring, but the majority of gardeners will find that sowing in flats at least 8 weeks before the date of the last frost will yield the best plants.
Cover the seeds with just a dusting of soil and keep moist. In garden flats, cover the top of the soil with plastic to encourage germination and keep in moisture. Expect germination when growing balsam plants from seed in approximately 10 to 15 days.
Young balsam plant care should include a time release fertilizer at transplant, when plants are at least 2 inches tall and have a good root base.
They used to be so easy to grow. We even saw them on road sides but now even nurseries do not sell seeds. This plight is seen with other flowers too.