Bard Alumnus George Ball ’73 Featured in Forbes
George Ball ’73.
George Ball ’73, Bard alumnus and chairman of the seed and plant company Burpee, was interviewed by Forbes magazine about his company’s seed collections in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Burpee was founded 100 years after the founding of the US, and its annual seed catalog and mail order business reach thousands of customers each year. Inspired by the gardens of Thomas Jefferson and Martha Washington and including seed varieties from the time of the American Revolution, the collection represents the country’s history as well as the history of gardening in the US.
The business aims, in Ball’s words, to “help the plants [and] the gardeners thrive.” In addition to sales, Burpee promotes learning about gardening and plant research through grant initiatives. In 2024, Bard received a $1 million grant from the Burpee Foundation for the construction of a trial garden at Bard’s Montgomery Place campus to revitalize historic lawn beds and engage students in horticultural research. Now, on America’s 250th, Ball thinks their mission to popularize gardening is more important than ever: “One of the most patriotic things you can do is plant a garden,” he said.
Post Date: 07-01-2026
The business aims, in Ball’s words, to “help the plants [and] the gardeners thrive.” In addition to sales, Burpee promotes learning about gardening and plant research through grant initiatives. In 2024, Bard received a $1 million grant from the Burpee Foundation for the construction of a trial garden at Bard’s Montgomery Place campus to revitalize historic lawn beds and engage students in horticultural research. Now, on America’s 250th, Ball thinks their mission to popularize gardening is more important than ever: “One of the most patriotic things you can do is plant a garden,” he said.
Post Date: 07-01-2026