Seed Giant Burpee Wants Americans To Garden Like It’s 1776

Forbes Daily Briefing · Jul 10, 2026 · 6m

To celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, the 150-year-old seed giant Burpee has been selling seed collections inspired by the gardens of Thomas Jefferson and Martha Washington, giving modern Americans the chance to grow hot peppers, cucumbers and watermelons based on seed varieties that date back to the American Revolution. These seeds are thanks to George Ball, the 74-year-old chairman and owner of Burpee since 1991, who says “one of the most patriotic things you can do is plant a garden.” Burpee, which was founded 100 years after the country, in 1876, is still a mail-order business with…