Growing impatience from seed should have been started indoors with heat and under light at least by Feb.. Sorry to tell you that, but as the name implies, you cannot be impatient. The seed is so small, and requires warm soil to germinate. I usually start them indoors with germinating mix, spread them on the top of the mix and keep moist with a spray bottle until the cotyledens emerge from the seed then, cover lightly and mist again. It sounds like you may have covered up those poor seeds and they will have no change to germinate under the large chunks of bark. Sorry, maybe you can try some indoors now just fo learn how. Good luck to you.

I'm in Maryland, Zone 7 and have a west facing bed that self seeds every year! I currently have thousands of 1/2" high impatience seedlings all over the place. They are really quite hardy. The large bark mulch may inhibit some of the seedlings but I'd bet some will come up. Just be sure they don't dry out.

None of my seeds were planted or covered with mulch, they just landed after the seed pods burst. My front bed has lots of organic matter, shredded leaves, etc. I guess the seeds just nestled themselves into the mulch.

Don't be too concerned I think you will have some germinate.

Good Luck!