Park Seed
An American mail-order and e-commerce gardening company offering flower, vegetable, and herb seeds, along with plants, bulbs, and gardening supplies.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Park Seed Company is an American gardening retailer and seed supplier based in Greenwood, South Carolina. Founded in 1868 by George Watt Park, the company began as a teenage entrepreneur's small-scale mail-order operation: Park harvested seeds from his family garden in Pennsylvania, printed a short hand-press list of available varieties, and promoted it to neighbors and through a paid advertisement in The Rural American. The response convinced him to develop seed selling into a permanent business. The company established an early identity through publishing as well as commerce. Its first catalog, issued in 1868, was an eight-page booklet with two woodcut illustrations. In 1871, Park introduced The Floral Gazette, a monthly publication that combined product listings with gardening advice, reader correspondence, advertising, and a seed-exchange feature. Renamed Park's Floral Magazine by 1877, the publication helped build a broad community of home gardeners and expanded the company's reach well beyond its local Pennsylvania origins. Circulation reportedly grew from approximately 20,000 in 1877 to about 800,000 by 1918. As orders and catalog distribution increased, the business moved from Libonia, Pennsylvania, to La Park, now Paradise, in 1902. The Park family later experimented with a Florida location, producing a catalog from Dunedin in 1923, but the climate was unsuitable for seed storage. In 1924, the company relocated to Greenwood, South Carolina, the hometown of George Park's wife, Carol Mary Barratt Park. Greenwood became the company's long-term base and remains associated with Park Seed's operations. Park Seed gradually developed an integrated horticultural and mail-order infrastructure. After operating from a large house during its first decades in Greenwood, the business moved to a modern storefront in 1950 and adopted improved environmental controls for seed quality. It later acquired approximately 500 acres near Hodges, north of Greenwood, and built a substantial campus containing offices, research facilities, seed-storage and processing areas, temperature-controlled plant and bulb facilities, computer operations, catalog production, mail-order fulfillment, customer service, and wholesale operations. The principal buildings were completed in 1961, and the site was subsequently expanded and modernized. The company has also grown through related garden businesses. In 1975, Park Seed acquired Wayside Gardens, an Ohio horticultural company founded in 1920, and moved its operations to South Carolina. The Park family remained involved in the business until 2005, when the company was sold to Florida real-estate executive Donald Hachenberger. It subsequently changed ownership several times. In 2010, Blackstreet Capital agreed to acquire Park Seed Company for a reported $12.8 million. Park Seed is now a division of Jackson & Perkins Park Acquisitions, a subsidiary of publicly traded Western Capital Resources. The group includes Park Seed, Jackson & Perkins, Wayside Gardens, and Van Dykes Restorers. In its current form, Park Seed combines the traditional catalog and mail-order model with online retail. Its assortment includes more than 1,100 flower, vegetable, and herb seed varieties, as well as bulbs, live plants, and gardening accessories. The brand primarily serves home gardeners and hobbyist growers, positioning itself around variety, accessible horticultural information, and direct-to-consumer convenience.
History
Park Seed Company's origins date to 1868, when 15-year-old George Watt Park began selling seeds collected from his backyard garden in Libonia, Pennsylvania. He purchased a hand press, printed a short list of seeds, distributed it locally, and placed an advertisement in The Rural American. The advertisement generated more orders than its cost, encouraging Park to establish a continuing seed business. The first Park catalog appeared that same year as an eight-page publication illustrated with woodcuts of an aster and a pansy. In 1871, the company expanded its publishing activities with The Floral Gazette, a monthly periodical that was part catalog, part gardening magazine, and part reader forum. It included gardening experiences, advertising, and a seed-exchange column through which readers could trade seeds, bulbs, and plants. By 1877, the publication had become Park's Floral Magazine and reportedly reached 20,000 readers. Its circulation rose substantially over the following decades, reaching approximately 800,000 by 1918. The publication helped Park Seed develop a national direct-mail audience and made horticultural information central to the brand's commercial model. Growing catalog circulation and order volume eventually exceeded the capabilities of the Libonia post office. In 1902, the company moved to La Park, Pennsylvania, now known as Paradise. George Watt Park married Carol Mary Barratt in 1918. Barratt, a South Carolina county home-demonstration agent, became a partner in the business, and the couple had two sons, George Barratt Park and William John Park. The family relocated temporarily to Dunedin, Florida, where it produced a catalog in 1923. Florida's heat and humidity, however, created difficult conditions for preserving seed quality. In 1924, the company moved to Greenwood, South Carolina, Barratt Park's hometown. Greenwood became the company's permanent base. For its first quarter-century in Greenwood, Park Seed operated from a large older house. In 1950, it moved to a more modern storefront and began using environmental controls designed to improve seed storage and quality. The company later acquired roughly 500 acres near Hodges on the northern edge of Greenwood. It developed the property into an integrated horticultural and mail-order campus with offices, research areas, seed storage and processing, temperature-controlled plant and bulb storage, computer facilities, fulfillment operations, customer service, catalog production, and wholesale functions. The main buildings were completed in 1961, and the site continued to be expanded and renewed. Park Seed broadened its portfolio in 1975 by acquiring Wayside Gardens, an Ohio company founded in 1920. Wayside's operations were moved to South Carolina, linking the two horticultural businesses. The Park family continued to control the company until 2005, when it was sold to Donald Hachenberger. Subsequent ownership changed several times; in 2010, Blackstreet Capital agreed to acquire the company for a reported $12.8 million. Park Seed is currently organized as a division of Jackson & Perkins Park Acquisitions, which is a subsidiary of publicly traded Western Capital Resources. The broader group also includes Jackson & Perkins, Wayside Gardens, and Van Dykes Restorers. Park Seed continues to serve consumers through catalogs and its e-commerce site, offering a large selection of flower, vegetable, and herb seeds together with bulbs, live plants, and gardening accessories.
- 2010
Blackstreet Capital acquisition agreement
[1]Blackstreet Capital agrees to acquire Park Seed Company in a reported $12.8 million transaction.
- 2005
Park family ownership ends
[1]The company is sold to Donald Hachenberger after remaining under Park family control for many decades.
- 1975
Wayside Gardens acquired
[1]Park Seed acquires Wayside Gardens, an Ohio horticultural company founded in 1920, and moves its operations to South Carolina.
- 1961
Greenwood horticultural campus completed
[1]The principal buildings of the company's integrated research, storage, processing, catalog, and fulfillment complex are completed near Hodges.
- 1950
Environmental-controlled storage era begins
[1]Park Seed moves to a modern storefront and introduces improved environmental controls for maintaining seed quality.
- 1924
Company relocates to Greenwood
[1]After a short-lived Florida location proved unsuitable for seed storage, Park Seed establishes its long-term headquarters in Greenwood, South Carolina.
- 1902
Operations move to La Park
[1]The growing mail-order business relocates from Libonia to La Park, Pennsylvania, now called Paradise.
- 1877
Publication renamed Park's Floral Magazine
[1]The company's publication adopts the Park's Floral Magazine name and reaches a reported circulation of 20,000.
- 1871
The Floral Gazette launched
[1]Park Seed begins publishing a monthly gardening periodical that combines product information with horticultural discussion and seed exchange.
- 1868
George Watt Park begins selling garden seeds
[1]George Watt Park starts a seed-selling business in Libonia, Pennsylvania, using a hand-printed list and mail-order promotion.
Products and positioning
A broad-assortment direct-to-consumer gardening brand for home gardeners, combining heritage mail-order expertise with online retail and offering seeds, plants, bulbs, and gardening accessories.
Seeds
Flower seeds
Flower seeds are one of Park Seed's core assortments and reflect the company's historical association with catalog-based home gardening. The range covers annual and perennial garden flowers and is marketed to consumers who want to grow ornamental plants from seed. Flower varieties are sold through the company's direct-to-consumer catalog and online retail channels.
Seeds
Vegetable seeds
Park Seed offers vegetable seeds for home food gardens, including named and specialty varieties. The category supports the company's longstanding role as a general-purpose seed supplier rather than a narrowly focused ornamental brand. It is available through the company's catalog and e-commerce operations.
Seeds
Herb seeds
Herb seeds form a further part of Park Seed's edible-gardening range. They are sold alongside vegetable and flower seeds, allowing the company to serve home gardeners seeking culinary, fragrant, or complementary planting varieties.
Vegetable seeds
Park's Whopper tomato seeds
Park's Whopper is a named tomato-seed offering associated with Park Seed's vegetable portfolio. It represents the brand's use of proprietary or branded variety names within its broader home-gardening assortment.
Flower seeds
Wave petunia seeds
Wave petunia seeds are a named ornamental offering associated with Park Seed's flower-seed range. The product reflects the company's role in distributing popular garden varieties to home growers through direct retail channels.
Live horticultural products
Bulbs and live plants
Beyond seeds, Park Seed sells flower bulbs and live plants. These products require different handling and storage conditions from seeds and contributed to the development of temperature-controlled facilities within the company's Greenwood-area campus.
Gardening supplies
Gardening accessories
Gardening accessories complement Park Seed's plant and seed assortment and allow the company to serve customers beyond the initial purchase of planting material. The category forms part of the brand's broader home-gardening retail offer.
Brand decisions
2010
Blackstreet Capital acquisition agreementM&ABackground
After ownership passed outside the Park family in 2005 and changed hands subsequently, Blackstreet Capital agreed to acquire the company.
Action taken
Blackstreet Capital agreed to purchase Park Seed Company for a reported $12.8 million.
Aftermath
Park Seed later became part of Jackson & Perkins Park Acquisitions, a subsidiary of Western Capital Resources.
Reported acquisition price. $12.8 million (2010 acquisition agreement)
1975
Acquisition of Wayside GardensM&ABackground
Park Seed expanded its horticultural portfolio by acquiring Wayside Gardens, an Ohio company established in 1920.
Action taken
The company acquired Wayside Gardens and moved its operations to South Carolina.
Aftermath
Wayside Gardens became part of Park Seed's broader garden-business portfolio and later remained within the same brand group.
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