You are right at the edge of hardyness. Impatiens tinctoria should be hardy with some protection. There are a few they are: omeiana, omeiana affinis, arguta, stenantha and a few more I just got in that I am hopeing they will be. One thing that many species dont like is heat. I currently moved my tintoria to the Botanical Gardens where I work because it started sulking in my dry heat. If you summers are cool and rarely get real hot than tintoria would do well for you. They others I listed do well for me in my hot dry summers with water. There are some neat annuals as well like glandulifera and balfourii that put on a really great show.

flowersandthings,
What did you end up getting?

Sheila

I think I got arguta.

That's the little blue one, isn't it? My mind has been in a whirl looking up pictures of impatiens and whatnot. There are quite a few gorgeous ones out there!
Sheila

Here is a link that might be useful: Guru Gardens

Oh no, wait I just checked its balfouri.... :)

Alright...I think I've got seeds coming for that one from Guru Garden.com

I can't wait. I may have to bite the bullet and pay up at Annies Annuals to get some garden size plants this year. But then I would want the less than hardy orchid like ones. I really am trying to get hardy plants established before I do that. It's always something, isn't it?

Sheila