Press Releases

WEST CHICAGO, IL – Vegetable gardening is “in” – and with the current state of the economy, more consumers are growing and harvesting their own vegetables. To help growers be part of this increasing market and to help consumers be successful with their own vegetable gardens, Ball Horticultural Company will launch the Burpee Home Gardens plant program at the 2009 California Pack Trials. Burpee Home Gardens is a new program that will offer Burpee-branded, garden-ready plants at retail garden centers in select markets in 2009 and nationally in 2010.

The Burpee Home Gardens program is the result of a collaborative effort between W. Atlee Burpee Company and Ball Horticultural Company. The strength of Ball’s marketing and distribution will bring the market-leading Burpee name to retail garden plants. Included in the assortment will be exclusive Burpee varieties that offer outstanding garden performance and flavor, many of which have not previously been available in plant form at retail.

The tried and true varieties from Burpee Home Gardens are easy-to-plant, easy-to-tend, long-yielding tasty vegetables and herbs, making home gardening more rewarding and enjoyable. “Burpee is the most well-known brand in home gardening – and it is a brand that stands for confidence and success to the home gardener,” says Diane Hund, Director of Marketing for Ball Horticultural Company. “This is the perfect time to launch a really strong brand into a really fast-growing category.”

“Throughout its 133-year history, Burpee has gained a strong reputation among home gardeners for its innovative and productive varieties,” says Chris Romas, President of W. Atlee Burpee Company. “The combined efforts of both Burpee and Ball will offer strong products and support to make this plant program a success at retail.”

For more information, please contact your Ball Sales Rep or call 800 879-BALL. See these new products on display at Pack Trials during the Ball Shoppes on Main in Santa Paula, California, March 28 - April 3, 2009.

Ball Horticultural Company is an internationally renowned breeder, producer and wholesale distributor of ornamental plants. A family-owned business since it was founded in 1905, Ball has introduced many innovative, award-winning varieties to the world of horticulture, including the Wave® petunia family; Dazzler® and Super Elfin® impatiens; and Fiesta™ double impatiens. The company offers the Simply Beautiful® and Circle of Life® programs exclusively for independent garden centers. Ball has worldwide production, sales and marketing through its many subsidiaries on six continents.

W. Atlee Burpee Company is the leading consumer gardening brand serving home gardeners and was founded in Philadelphia in 1876. Within 25 years it had become the largest, most progressive seed company in America. Burpee has introduced many innovative varieties that have shaped American gardening such as Golden Bantam Corn (the first yellow sweet corn), Iceberg Lettuce, Big Boy® Tomato and Black Beauty Eggplant. Burpee continues to demonstrate its leadership in home gardening with the recent introduction of Sweet Seedless Tomato. Burpee is still a family-owned seed company, operated by George Ball Jr., and still in the Philadelphia area.