You heard it here first

I just received an email from Park Seed. They will be introducing more than 50 new plants this fall. Below is a foretaste. You'll have to sort through the hype yourself. This is straight from the press release.


Echinacea Meringue (Echinacea purpurea 'Meringue') Each of these charming white-and-primrose blooms begins as a flat daisy, then grows upward, creating a giant gumdrop of a flower. One of the renowned Cone-fections series from Holland, Meringue is a compact plant with short, strong stems and an abundance of blooms. Perfect in front of taller Echinacea, or on its own in containers, it is upright and tidy. Z 3-9; midsummer/early fall; sun; H: 15-18", W: 15-18"





Candy Lipstick Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Candy Lipstick') Gorgeous shades of rose, pink, and lilac combine on these unusual blooms to make this Daylily really glow. The upper petals are a rich rosy-purple with a creamy stripe down the center, while the lower petals are a contrasting pink. They appear on long, slender stems of reddish-purple on semi-evergreen plants that flower very heavily. It is unbeatable for dramatic color in the border, container, or mass planting. Z 3-9; midsummer; sun/part shade; H: 24", W: 20"




Peony Singing in the Rain (Paeonia x 'Singing in the Rain') Each flowering stem on this marvelous Itoh Hybrid bears several side-shoots laden with blooms, making it the heaviest-flowering Peony we've ever grown. The flowers are semi-double, 6 inches wide, and a splendid combination of soft creamy yellow and salmon peach, with a faint, sweet scent. Best of all, heavy rain won't faze this Peony, which simply covers itself in pink buds before bursting into multi-colored pastel bloom. A showpiece in any setting, it is certain to be your favorite cut flower as well as a timeless garden performer. Z 4-8; late spring/early summer; sun/part shade; H: 36-40"; W: 36"



Japanese Iris Lace Ruff (Iris ensata 'Lace Ruff') Punctuate the Iris garden with this nearly white beauty, its soft lavender styles and violet veins accentuating the snowy petals. Very elegantly held, with abundant ruffles and a beautiful form, Lace Ruff is a splendid addition to the multicolored border. Very easy to grow. Z 4-9; early-/midsummer; sun/part shade; H: 24", W: 18'






Green Wave Tulip (Tulipa 'Green Wave') This exciting new Parrot looks quite ordinary at first. The green buds open to unsurprisingly green blooms, their petals twisted and frizzy. But then, after a few days, the tips of the petals begin to show traces of pink. In no time, the entire flower is a mass of bright pink and soft cream, the green remaining only in the central stripe. Measuring at least 6 inches wide, these are stunning cut flowers, appearing late in Tulip season and ending your spring bulb display with a flourish. Z 3-8; mid-/late spring; sun/part shade; H 20-24"; W: 12"




Grand Perfection Tulip (Tulipa 'Grand Perfection') Very full and beautifully sculptured, these Single Early combine clear yellow to pure white with bright red feathering on 14- to 16-inch stems. Z 3-8; early/mid-spring; sun/part shade; H: 14-16", W: 8-10"









Coral Bells 'Mahogany' PPAF (Heuchera 'Mahogany') Here's a nice change of pace - the red tones actually get brighter as the weather warms up. In spring, rich mahogany-purple leaves unfurl, ruffled and very dense on nicely mounding plants. By summer, they have turned a brighter shade of red, and they keep this color through winter in wild and warm climates. Very easy, even in hot, humid areas. Z 4-9; sun/part shade; H: 8", W: 16"





Hibiscus Boule de Feu (Hibiscus syriacus 'Boule de Feu') A splendid heirloom variety with giant double blooms of raspberry-purple tinged with maroon in the center. Upright, very well-branched plants are highly tolerant of heat and humidity. These flowers look like enormous carnations, and a fully-blooming plant is an unforgettably beautiful sight. Z 5-9; midsummer/autumn; sun; H: 8-12', W: 10'






Heucherella Alabama Sunrise (H. villosa 'Alabama Sunrise') Lovely from spring 'til frost, this vigorous, mounding plant begins the year with bright gold foliage veined in red. In mid- to late summer, the gold deepens to green, but the rich markings remain. And in autumn, the leaves blaze orange and pink. Very easy to grow, it is topped by small white blooms on 20-inch stems and stands up beautifully to heat and humidity. A carefree joy for any shady spot. Z 4-9; late spring; part/full shade; H: 12", W: 20"



Blanket Flower Frenzy (Gaillardia 'Commotion' TM Frenzy) Here it is - the new star of your sunny border, best containers, and even those hard-to-plant dry, poor soil areas of the landscape. Frenzy is the most exciting new Blanket Flower to come along in many a year, with a petal count so high it looks double-flowered. Fluted petals are burgundy at the base, shading into rich red and then blazing yellow at the merry tips. Later in the very long bloom season, the flowers are more orange-toned than red, creating a lovely multi-colored look in the garden or vase. Cut them back as they pass and the blooms will just keep coming. Asking nothing beyond an annual spring trim, this nearly mounded plant will wow everyone who sees it. Very highly recommended. Z 5-10; late spring/mid fall; sun; H: 18-24", W: 24"


Penstemon 'Pink Dawn' (Penstemon digitalis 'Pink Dawn') A dwarf version of the beloved native Foxglove Beardtongue, this charming mini has all the appeal of its larger cousins. Butterflies and hummingbirds love its tubular white-tipped pink blooms, which are excellent for cutting. Insects and other pests leave the plant alone, so that it thrives in any moist, well-drained soil. Enjoy it up close in containers as well as in the border and accent plantings. Z 3-8; spring/early summer; sun; H: 18-24", W: 15-18"




Bugbane 'Chocoholic' PPAF (Cimicifuga 'Chocoholic') Have you discovered this fascinating shade perennial yet? This is a very compact, dark-leaved version of Bugbane, just right for today's smaller gardens. The large, attractive foliage is deep burgundy-purple, held well below the fragrant, graceful bottlebrush blooms. These flowers - irresistible to butterflies - open an intense shade of mauve, lightening as they mature. Z 4-8; midsummer/early fall; part shade; H: 24-36", W: 18-24"





Coral Bells 'Southern Comfort' PPAF (Heuchera 'Southern Comfort') Watching these giant leaves subtly shift from spiced peach in spring to coppery in summer and amber in autumn is half the fun of growing this lovely new Coral Bell. Topped with creamy-white blooms on 22-inch stems for several weeks, it never fails to surprise and delight with its intense colors and lushly mounded habit Z 4-9; late spring; sun/part shade; H: 14". W: 24"





Peony 'First Arrival' (Paeonia 'First Arrival') Every garden deserves one Itoh Peony - the incredible cross of garden and tree peonies that produce huge blooms on vigorous, very long-lived plants. This is one of the finest of all, with massive 6- to 8-inch semi-double to fully double blooms, very fragrant, boasting lavender-pink shades on 2-foot stems. A treasure for cutting or garden enjoyment, it blooms for decades and is so easy to care for. Z 4-8. late spring/early summer; full sun/part shade; H: 10", W:12"