were above the ground... put in two shovels full of compost... then I fill the can up with water ever 2 days and try not to water the leaves... these four plants are now 5 ft 4 inches in less that a month and a half and loaded with green tomatoes and about a hundred sets of tomato blossoms...

Supply list:

Perlite, Sphagnum Peat Moss, Portland Cement, Water, Cooking Spray (I used Pam), Large bucket or something to mix your ingredients in, Rubber gloves, Particle mask, Safety glasses, Various plastic or cardboard containers to use as molds

Wear your rubber gloves, particle mask and safety glasses!!! Portland cement can be nasty if inhaled, gets on your skin or in your eyes. Don't make me come over there and put them on you!

Mix equal parts of Perlite, Sphagnum Peat Moss and Portland cement. Add enough water to make it a cottage cheese like consistency.

Spray your containers with cooking spray and then fill the areas between the two items with the mixture.

Wrap your planters-to-be in a plastic garbage bag and patiently wait for them to harden. I let mine dry for 24 hours in the bag and then 4 days outside the bag.

A little more detail can be found on my post, which is linked below, and I also show you how to make a sphere.

Warning - these are sort of addictive to make. You will find yourself making them in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

#OutdoorProjects

all across our nation now. Even if you save your own Impatien seed and keep other garden center plants away from your carefully and lovingly tended imps, you are still vulnerable as this is an airborn pathogen that will stay in your soil from one season to the next. It starts on the underside of the plant where you don't always see it. You won't notice until the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the plant withering and dying. There is nothing as of yet that effectively will combat the virulent attack.

This is my list of alternatives to the dilemma of what to plant to give that same heavenly splash of color in the shade garden.

My top picks are

1) Begonia , green wax leaf, tuberous , angel and dragon wing

2) Torenia

3) Browallia

4) New guinea impatien

5) Diascia

6) Fuschia

7) Balsam

8) Shade coleus

9) Lobelia

10) Euphorbia 'diamond frost'

11) Geraniums

12) Ageratum

13) Caladiums

14) Strobilanthes

15) Fan Flower(Scaevola)

There are a bunch more that will take part shade such as Nicotiana, Salvia, and Sweet Williams.

I will miss the sweet sweet impatien, but while the experts search for a cure, it gives us all the opportunity to step out of our garden box and into the wild new territory of DIFFERENT and awesome plants that will put a smile on our garden faces.#itchingforspring