Bedding plants are often exposed to elevated temperature and/or water deficit stress during transportation. Such poor environmental conditions can decrease crop quality and cause crop loss. To mitigate damage from water stress, plants need to reduce transpirational water loss by closing their stomata. Osmotic stress induces stomatal closure similar to water deficit stress in plants and thus could be used as a new tool to enhance water stress tolerance. Both water stress and osmotic stress trigger abscisic acid-signaling pathway which increases the level of cytosolic calcium in guard cells. Calcium has been known to play an important role during the process of stomatal closure. The objective of our research was to investigate whether osmotic stress and/or exogenous calcium application delayed plant wilting and enhanced water stress tolerance in impatiens (Impatiens walleriana ‘Xtreme White’). Osmotic stress inducing chemicals for treatments included CaCl2 and Ca(NO3)2 (calcium), and BaCl2 and Ba(NO3)2 (non-calcium), and they were applied at 100, 200, and 400 mM. As an osmotic stress inducing control, mannitol was drenched on impatiens at 300, 400, and 600 mM. CaCl2, Ca(NO3)2, and Ba(NO3)2 at 400 mM, and mannitol at 600 mM delayed visible wilting of plants, while control plants started wilting six days after water was withheld. CaCl2 and Ca(NO3)2 at 400 mM, and mannitol at 600 mM extended shelf life by 4.8, 3, and 3.2 days compared to control, respectively. Comparing concentrations of these chemicals, shelf life was increased as concentration increased. Barium containing chemicals [BaCl2 and Ba(NO3)2] at all concentrations did not increase shelf life. Treatment of BaCl2 at 400 mM caused severe chlorosis and necrosis symptoms. These results indicated that treatments inducing osmotic stress seemed to delay wilting under water deficit and calcium containing chemicals were the most effective on enhancing temporary water deficit tolerance in impatiens.