In 1937, Hans and Rosa Burkard opened Burkard Nurseries, specializing in extraordinary colors of hybrid delphinium and pansies. The Nursery expanded over the decades. Today, its vast inventory of flowering plants, citrus trees, rare specimens, and exotic bulbs have made it a must-stop destination for gardeners and landscape designers. Over the years, the emphasis on customer service - typified by the staff's enthusiasm and horticultural knowledge - and on the quality of the extensive collection is the hallmark of Burkard Nurseries.

Frank Burkard, Jr., the third-generation proprietor of Burkard Nurseries, carries on the family tradition. His love affair with horticulture began many years earlier when, as a youngster, he was his grandfather Hans's shadow, absorbing the elder Burkard's love for plants. As a teenager working alongside his father, he learned from Frank, Sr.'s sizable knowledge of ornamental horticulture and the elder Burkard's joy in sharing his expertise with customers. In 1978, with his newly minted Bachelor of Science in Ornamental Horticulture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Frank Burkard, Jr., joined the family business. Today, Frank and his wife Penny, also a graduate of Cal Poly, who oversees the administrative aspects of the Nursery, manage the business together as Hans and Rosa once did.

Burkard also continues the family tradition of community involvement. The Nursery supports local civic organizations from the Tournament of Roses, The Los Angeles County Arboretum, Descanso Gardens, the Junior League of Pasadena, to South Pasadena Beautiful Association. Community projects, ranging from the grounds at Roosevelt School to Community Gardens, benefited from the Nursery's donated plants and labor.