Slugs can still get into containers and can be in baskets if the eggs are present! A caterpillar of some kind sounds more likely. A batch of eggs quickly gets to a bunch of very hungry caterpillars. Have removed loads this year. Did the plant turn to a stem overnight or did it happen slowly and hence the slug pellets?

Listened to my local gardening programme this morning,and this was one of the questions asked ..Apparently it is happening all over the country,and there is a disease or fungus,that attacks the roots of busy Lizzies..I don't know how to spell it,but this is my attempt,as never heard it before..."Phytoria,or Fytoria..or a very similar sounding word..but the professional gardeners are quite worried about it..hope this helps,and hope it isn't this destroying your plants...and hope mine will be ok too....so far they look very healthy,but it can happen anytime..Someone else more knowledgable than me,will maybe be able to give you the correct name,and more information..

thank you for your replies. I dont think it is caterpillars/slugs eating over 40 plants in various parts of my front and back garden. But the reply of phytoria / fytoria sounds as if that may be the cause. I will pursue that. it does soud like a disease as i do not have 1 bizzy lizzy flower in my garden from over 40 plants, and i have grown them for 20 years or more. Thankyou.

Phytopthora fungus. It has been a common problem here in Arizona for decades, and is especially severe in hot, humid weather. Our strain can be killed with Captan fungicide, but we've found it better to make sure that the soil is acid and perfectly drained. A strain of the fungus that lives in the UK, though, may not be bothered by acid soil.

Thank you for telling me the correct name,Tugbrethil...I only caught the tail end of the word...but glad you recognised my interpretation of it..it appears to be getting to be a problem here too..although our weather conditions are obviously not the same as Arizona..it must have adapted to our cool and wet..with occasional warm sunshine ! ..

Well, when the sun does come out, I imagine that it could get pretty steamy, there! : )

Very occasionally,..but at the moment it is lovely..very calm,warm,but cloudy..so just perfect...and it has given it for all week..also it rained during the night..so even better :o) I noticed yesterday,there were a couple more questions on the same subject..

Yes, it sounds like quite a plague of it. I hope it isn't going to go like the Phytopthora ramosa plague in California--it seemed like that blasted fungus ate nearly everything. It really made gardening difficult there, for a while, and it is still a major pest on nursery stock.

Does anyone else in the UK (Essex) have this problem?
Will i be able to grow them next year or is the ground contaminated? I am an amateur gardener as you can tell. I have never had a problem with Impatients.

I have had exactly the same problem this year. My garden is usually so colourful at this time with hundreds of busy lizzies - I have just removed the last one!!! Such a shame - and expense - just popping out to see what I can plant in their place!