Title: Park Seed Spring 2007 Preview

Run Date: FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Words: 1,015

Photos: Digital photos available on request

Geranium Nano Pelargonium. The fabulous new Nanos are petite only in their height and foliage – the flowers are full-sized beauties that just keep coming! And you can enjoy them year round by bringing them indoors for the winter, with no floppy, scraggly plants in sight – the Nanos stay naturally neat and small because of their short internodes and leaf stems. Easy to grow in good soil in the garden, or in pots, where they like to be kept root-bound and to dry out between watering. Pkt contains 10 seeds. Sun/Afternoon Shade; H: 5-12"; Blooms: Continuously

Caladium Moonlight. Large, striking white leaves are framed within a thin green margin and sport white major veins and contrasting green minor veins. Each leaf’s center edge is kissed with magenta-purple. Bred for excellent performance in small containers. Part Sun; H: 18-22"; Z: 9-11

Amaranthus Dreadlocks A.caudatus. Brilliant magenta flowerheads about 1 ½ inches in diameter are packed along weeping stems that hang 3 feet long. Unique in the garden and delightful in the vase, this sun-lover flowers over a long season, and the blooms make good Everlastings. Pkt contains 50 seeds. Sun; Blooms: All Summer; H: 3"

Fiber Optic Grass Livewire Isolepsis cernua. This delightful Sedge sports silvery blooms at the very tip of long, slender stems, creating a fountainous mass of interesting color and texture indoors or out! Perfect for containers, it is also very useful in the garden, preferring the boggy, even wet soil that most plants dislike. Reaches 20 inches wide. Pkt contains 15 multi-pellets; each pellet yields 3-5 plants. Sun/Part Shade; H: 6-8", Blooms: Year-round; Z: 8-10 (or anywhere indoors) 

Nigella African Bride. Startling 1- to 1 ½-inch white blooms with spidery black stamens and seedpods that remain long after the petals fall, creating lovely Everlastings. Eager to grow and prepared to bloom all summer, this is a fine choice for fresh and dried arrangements. Pkt contains 50 seeds. Sun; H: 3’; Blooms: All Summer

Porphyrocoma Brazilian Fireworks A colorful tropical addition to your shade loving annuals. This eye-popping combination of variegated foliage and purple and pink bicolored flowers is perfect for mixed containers. Heat-loving, this also makes a good bedding plant in warm climates. Pkt contains 10 seeds. Shade; Blooms: All Summer; H: 8-10", W: 6-8"

Coneflower Pink Double Delight PPAF. Echinacea purpurea. Very floriferous and well-branched, this new Coneflower sports big, petal-packed pompon blooms that gradually turn from bubblegum-pink to antique mauve as they mature. Their sturdy, straight stems are perfect for cutting, and the more you cut, the quicker new vuds arise to replace them! Expect up to 12 weeks of blooms – and more flowers than you can count – from this exciting newcomer! Bareroot. Sun; H: 18-24", W: 18-24"; Mid-Late Summer; Z: 3-9

Sunflower Cherry Rose. Cherry rose opens the first of its many 3- to 4-inch blooms within 40 days of sowing. The flowers have a large chocolate-brown center, rich deep red petals, and the occasional golden tip. Pkt contains 25 seeds. Sun; H: 5’, W: 2-3’; Blooms: Summer

Dwarf Calla Lily Captain Palermo. The closest to true black ever seen in a Calla. The perfectly-formed blooms measure 5 to 6 inches long, arising plentifully above white-speckled foliage on compact plants. Easy to grow, this is a "must-have" for cutflower lovers! Shade; H: 16-24", W: 6-9"; Blooms: Late Spring-Late Summer; Z: 9-11

Kiwi Hardy Red Actinidia arguda. This is a Kiwi in disguise! These smooth cranberry-red fruits open to bright red flesh with a memorable sweet, tart flavor. A taste-test winner that looks great on a plate, this female variety sets 100 pounds or more of fruit in a single season. Begins bearing 1 to 2 years after planting; needs a male pollinator. 1-gallon container; Sun; Fruits: Fall; H: 15-20’; Z: 4-11

Shell Bean Yin Yang. 100 days. An American heirloom variety with huge yields of delightful black-and-white beans (each color containing a spot of the other, for balance). Harvest young for tender beans or leave out to dry for hard shells. The 15- to 18-inch plants are compact yet very heavy-bearing, and the beans have a mild flavor and smooth, even texture that means even children will like them. Plant a few extra to display the charming beans; their unique colors disappear during cooking. Pkt contains 50 seeds.

Cauliflower Romanesco Veronica. 85 days. Romanesco is perfect raw or cooked. This hybrid is a vigorous grower with beautiful lime green peaked heads of small towering florets with a milder, sweeter flavor than white cauliflower. Are best eaten when the heads are small. Remains green when cooked. Heat tolerant. Best for fall harvest. Pkt contains 20 seeds.

Carrot White Satin. 65 days. Ready in a flash, this pure white carrot looks quite elegant on the plate, yet boasts all the rich, sweet flavor of traditional orange types, with a bit of added crunchiness for extra appeal. The 8-inch roots grow straight and very uniform from high-yielding seeds. Pkt contains 400 seeds.

Squash Sweet Lightening. 100 days. Torn between whether to eat this Winter Delicata or display it as a centerpiece? This semi-bush habit sets plenty of fruit for both purposes. The pumpkin-shaped fruits weigh 1 to 1 ½ pounds, with a hard shell and delectable flesh. Tolerant of powdery mildew, this plant is easy to grow and a dependably heavy producer.

Tomato Pineapple Hybrid Heirloom. 85-95 days. The tastiest heirloom Tomato our Director of Seeds has ever sampled, this American classic is a large beefsteak type, weighing up to 2 pounds. Colored a rich yellow-gold and often boasting red stripes, this colossal tomato is sweet and fruity with a tangy aftertaste. Few seeds and more solids give you an extra bite or two. Dependably high-yielding plants. Pkt contains 30 seeds.