they pretty much stay up... if they sag, it means they're literally dying of thirst.

but if the basket's not in the middle of the walk way, you can add a lengthener or some extra chain so you can SEE the flowers yourself without standing out on the sidewalk :)

I disagree......check all the postings a month or so ago about plants flopping.....when they get tall enough the weight of the stalk will bend them over a bit and they will hang down somewhat.
If you doubt me, go into a greenhouse where theya re selling these baskets...they are very full and hanging over the edge.
But the suggestion of a longer chain is a good one! I use extenders on all my hanging stuff.....don't much care to look at the bottom of a pot! And another thing I do is add drippy stuff at the edges of the pot....stuff like a bit of tahitian bridal veil, ivy, varigated vinca vine etc.
Linda C

Impatiens are woody perennials, just like trees. If you want them droopy, simply prune off what grows vertically. This will force horizontal branching & the growth you desire. I do it all the time with impatiens & coleus for the cascading effect.

Al

Al, what do you mean? A woody perennial? I have never heard it referred that way before, and my research indicates that impatiens are not woody perennials. But I would love to understand it better if I am incorrect.
To the original poster: they do hang down a little, but I have my basket lower to the ground hanging off a shepard's hook. It's a moss lined one, not plastic, and I think it shows off the flowers a little better.

As impatiens get older, the stems turn very lignified (woody). They actually get bark on them. I have some fairly young ones growing as bonsai now, but I've given away plants that were more than 5 years old. Where you grow a plant isn't the real deciding factor as to whether it's a perennial or annual. The deciding factor is whether it persists after the second growing season. Though freezing temperatures force you to treat it as an annual in your (our) zone, if you were to bring it indoors to overwinter, it would persist for many seasons. Buttercup, coleus, snapdragon, petunia, calibrachoa, are also perennials.

Hope that clears it up. ;o)

Al

And begonias and geraniums.

so in the winter bring them in the house?

If you think it worth the trouble - bring them in. I have lots of pruning time invested in the woody stuff I grow as bonsai, so I winter over many plant varieties listed above. For you, it may not be worth it, considering how inexpensive the plant material is. Light & humidity is a major factor, too. I have a light set-up & control over humidity, which is half the battle.

Al