Hi Dora --
I've grown impatiens from seed many times, and, while it does tend to be a bit "iffy," I've never given it the cold treatment before (because I had never heard that!). I've always gotten by far the best germination from seeds I've saved from my own plants (without any special treatment). Hmmm... now you've got me wondering about it... but at any rate, I've grown them without the cold treatment plenty of times, which I guess is the answer to your original question
