Breck's
Encyclopedia
Breck’s is a mail order gardening company and importer of Dutch flower bulbs. Based in Guilford
, Indiana
, and Hillegom
, The Netherlands, Breck’s was founded in 1818. Originally a family-owned garden supply business, Breck’s gradually expanded into a catalog company. Breck’s is now the largest U.S. importer of Dutch bulbs.
(1794–1873) was born in Medfield, Massachusetts
. He founded his business, Joseph Breck & Company, in 1818, in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1822 to 1846, Breck was the editor of the New England Farmer, one of the earliest agricultural magazines established in the U.S., and the first of its kind in New England. In 1833, Breck wrote a book called The Young Florist, which is an ongoing dialogue between two young gardeners in order to present information about flowers and natural history as it relates to flower cultivation. In 1840, Breck published his company’s first catalog, the New England Agricultural Warehouse and Seed Store Catalogue, to promote his company’s products. The catalog included illustrations and horticultural literature to accompany product listings.
In 1856, he published The Flower Garden, a book about the cultivation of ornamental plants such as perennials, annuals
, shrubs and evergreen trees. One of the founding members of the American Seed Trade Association, Breck was the president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
from 1859 to 1862. Breck bought a house in Brighton, MA, in 1854 and lived there until his death.
The company continued through the years as a garden supply company. In the 1950s, Luther Adams “Bo” Breck, the fifth-generation Breck, transformed the family business into a Dutch bulb importer and flower bulb catalog company.
Guilford, Indiana
Guilford is an unincorporated town in York Township, Dearborn County, Indiana. Located at the forks of Tanners Creek the town was first platted in 1850 to take advantage of the fact that a railroad was soon to be built in the area...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Hillegom
Hillegom
Hillegom is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 13.48 km² of which 0.61 km² is water....
, The Netherlands, Breck’s was founded in 1818. Originally a family-owned garden supply business, Breck’s gradually expanded into a catalog company. Breck’s is now the largest U.S. importer of Dutch bulbs.
History
Joseph BreckJoseph Breck
Joseph Breck , a notable businessman of the 19th century, was born in Medfield, Massachusetts. He founded his business, Joseph Breck & Company, in 1818, in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1822 to 1846, Breck was the editor of the New England Farmer, one of the earliest agricultural magazines...
(1794–1873) was born in Medfield, Massachusetts
Medfield, Massachusetts
Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,024 according to the 2010 Census. Medfield is an affluent community about 17 miles southwest of Boston....
. He founded his business, Joseph Breck & Company, in 1818, in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1822 to 1846, Breck was the editor of the New England Farmer, one of the earliest agricultural magazines established in the U.S., and the first of its kind in New England. In 1833, Breck wrote a book called The Young Florist, which is an ongoing dialogue between two young gardeners in order to present information about flowers and natural history as it relates to flower cultivation. In 1840, Breck published his company’s first catalog, the New England Agricultural Warehouse and Seed Store Catalogue, to promote his company’s products. The catalog included illustrations and horticultural literature to accompany product listings.
In 1856, he published The Flower Garden, a book about the cultivation of ornamental plants such as perennials, annuals
Annuals
Annuals is a six-piece indie-pop outfit from Raleigh and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band was started by Adam Baker in 2003 as a side project of the still active sister band Sunfold, formerly known as Sedona and headed up by lead guitarist Kenny Florence....
, shrubs and evergreen trees. One of the founding members of the American Seed Trade Association, Breck was the president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, sometimes abbreviated to MassHort, is an American horticultural society based in Massachusetts. It describes itself as the oldest, formally-organized horticultural institution in the United States...
from 1859 to 1862. Breck bought a house in Brighton, MA, in 1854 and lived there until his death.
The company continued through the years as a garden supply company. In the 1950s, Luther Adams “Bo” Breck, the fifth-generation Breck, transformed the family business into a Dutch bulb importer and flower bulb catalog company.