Heronswood Nursery, which counts Martha Stewart among its customers, is under new ownership. W. Atlee Burpee & Co., a suburban Philadelphia company reputed to be the nation’s largest seed business, purchased the Kingston operation from founders Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones.

According to officials at the company, the acquisition is one part of Burpee’s strategic plan to diversify by offering live plants, among other things.

In addition to its local nursery operation, e-commerce has helped Heronswood become a blossoming international mail-order company offering exotic plant life from around the world. The company’s merchandise catalog, which reads more like an encyclopedia, will remain a separate entity from Burpee’s catalog.

Under the purchase agreement, Heronswood will retain its name and Hinkley and Jones will continue to run the operation and will help convert the current 7 1/2 acre nursery into a plant research site as well as oversee the development of a new 20-acre nursery at another location in Kitsap County. No specific site has yet been announced for the expansion.

Heronswood has reported annual revenues of $1.7 million and employs 15 full-time employees year round and up to 35 seasonally The company currently sells plants in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Burpee is a 125-year-old company known strictly for its seeds. However, in recent years, it has diversified into live plants, using retail outlets and has put a strong emphasis on internet marketing.