Meet the man who brought 150-year-old Burpee's back to its roots

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- Paid Sponsor Partnership: Philadelphia Corporation for Aging

Spring planting season has arrived, and one of the nation's most iconic companies is celebrating its 150th birthday this year.

Meet the man who bought Burpee in 1991, and brought the brand back from the brink of bankruptcy.

At Burpee's Fordhook Farm in Doylestown, George Ball is overseeing the spring planting of a demonstration garden.

"We call it the kitchen garden, but it's for testing and for getting feedback," he said.

He's also overseeing the restoration of the historic seed house for a company that has, in its 150 year history, become synonymous with home gardening.

"There's a lot of pride in what I do," said Ball, who is the Executive Chair at W. Atlee Burpee & Company. "It's like you're taking care of things that will take care of you back.

Burpee was founded by W. Atlee Burpee in 1876, shortly after the 18-year-old attended the Centennial Exposition in Fairmount Park.

"He saw all the different vegetables and all the different flowers because it was an agricultural country still and he had a huge seed business in a matter of a decade," said Ball.

Before Ball bought Burpee in the 1990s, the company was one of his customers.

"I was selling flower seeds to them," he said.

When Burpee fell on tough times, Ball was offered a percentage of the company in lieu of payment.

"And pretty soon, you know, that became my business," said Ball.

He focused on returning Burpee to its roots.

"I just turned the quality upside down and I began innovating because I emulated Mr. Burpee as much as I could," he said.

Inside Burpee Hall, a panoramic mural celebrates Burpee's garden inventions.

The company is celebrating its 150th birthday as the nation honors its 250th.

"This is our historic 100, Burpee's historic breakthroughs," he said. "150 years of first-evers."

To celebrate, Burpee has introduced a series of limited edition seed kits.

"Let people really experience gardens as they were 250 years ago," said Jamie Mattikow, President & CEO, W. Atlee Burpee & Company. "Thomas Jefferson actually said the United States should be a nation of gardeners."

George Ball, 35 years into his Burpee career, couldn't agree more.

"You want to use time in the garden, like you want use time to raise children," he said. "You keep taking care of it, and it grows."

For more information, visit: Burpee.com.