Field, researchers and plant breeders all over the world are working very hard to find or create disease resistant strains of Impatiens. The development of new cultivars takes a very long time since field testing can't be rushed. Once the testing has been completed, it will take a long time to build up enough propagation stock that the plants can be introduced to the world's market place. I'm sure that most of the major seed houses are hot on the track. It will be interesting to see what comes out in the future. Keep Googling for disease resistant impatiens; I expect that we'll begin seeing some worthy of trying pretty soon. I strongly suspect that the new Impatiens may be a hybrid and might

i had cucumbers i planted that got downy mildew. i was able to keep it at bay by spraying a copper fungacide with serenade then neem. i never use the same fungacide spray as the mildew will start to get immune to it. i used them at a seven day interval until it was time to harvest or it got really hot.

Catherine: I am so glad your story had a happy ending. They haven't update the state of the little deer with the pumpkin stuck on it's head lately. I just hope everything worked out for it. Jenny

Downys also use thermoregulation in the winter to conserve energy. They can slow their heart beat and reduce body temperature - sort of a mini hibernation. I've seen many photos of people in the dead of winter going out after dark and taking pictures of downies "sleeping" in bluebird boxes. You can open the box and they dont wake up. I was meaning to try it this winter, since I have a BB box a Downy uses. I never made it out this year and the extreme cold temperatures are past us, maybe next year.