A Few Spring Introductions From Park Seed
January 19, 2009 
Park Seed has about 100 new plants for spring. Here’s a look at a few that really caught our eyes.
Japanese Iris ‘August Emperor’
Often the last iris to bloom in the garden, this water lover astounds with huge 7 ½-inch double blooms of rich royal purple tinged with blue and accented in yellow and white.
‘August Emperor’ reaches 32 inches high and about 18 to 24 inches wide. It’s perfect for creekside, bog garden or that poorly-drained “trouble spot.” Give it more water in sunny settings. In the shade, it will thrive in ordinary moist garden soil. It is hardy to Zones 4-9.
Echinacea ‘PrimaDonna White’
‘PrimaDonna White’ is an exciting new Echinacea with masses of large, white blooms that hold their petals straight out and bloom over a long season in the garden. The blooms measure 4 to 5 inches across, with a large central cone and tightly-packed white petals that stand out brilliantly even from across the garden. This plant reaches 28 to 32 inches high, with superior branching and an airy, long-stemmed habit that looks good in border or large containers. Give it a sunny spot and watch it take off. It is hardy to Zones 3-9.
Candytuft ‘Tahoe’
Winner of Europe’s top award for flowering seed (Fleuroselect), ‘Tahoe’ is much more compact than others. It saves its energy for making bigger flower clusters and many more of them. It also quickly spreads 2 feet wide in the sunny garden, though only 8 to 10 inches high. It is never invasive, which makes it a great groundcover around bulbs, and its white blooms make every color around them glow more brightly. ‘Tahoe’ is a happy-go-lucky perennial, hardy from one end of the country to the other, happy in containers as well as the garden and very easy to grow. Find a sunny place for quick, dense coverage. It is hardy to Zones 3-9.
Variegated Beautyberry
A multi-season shrub extraordinaire, this compact little Beautyberry delights with a shrubby habit, masses of pure white berries appearing like pearls all over its branches, and stunning variegation that remains through summer heat and sun!
Just 3 1/2 feet tall and wide, this shrub makes a lovely accent anywhere from the border to containers. You will love its ease of care and freedom of color. It is hardy to Zones 5-8.
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