De Hessenhof
The memory of a nursery in Holland stayed with me over the years. I couldn't fully remember the name or location until a post appeared on my social media feed last year. It caught my attention — I had found De Hessenhof again.
Knowing I would be traveling to Holland in the fall of 2025, I immediately added it to my itinerary.
I remembered De Hessenhof as a small perennial nursery that does things its own way: fully organic, breeding and propagating plants independently, and avoiding mass production. When we arrived last fall, it was everything I remembered and more. A simple sign invited us past the beech hedges surrounding the property. The parking lot was loose gravel, lined with gardens and plants. Inside, a small greenhouse café offered a place to pause before heading into the sales areas or touring the show garden.
A map of the grounds and a list of varieties available year-round encouraged exploration of every corner. The show garden, filled with stock beds and mother plants, was lively with a diverse mix of colors, textures, and, most importantly, life. As an organic nursery, all forms of life are welcomed and supported here: birds, wasps, bees, butterflies, constantly displaying activity.
Founded in 1981, the nursery has maintained its principles ever since. No pesticides, no artificial fertilizers, and notably no peat. They are certified organic, and in the Netherlands, that label has legal significance; you can use the term only if you meet the required standards. On just over two hectares, a small team offers approximately 3,000 varieties each year, propagated from a living collection of more than 6,000 species and cultivars. They rely on their own stock plants for division, vegetative propagation, and seed, purchasing very little from outside sources. By keeping production simple and primarily in-house, they keep prices competitive with conventional garden centers.
The visit was too short. I could have spent hours more taking it all in; however, I left with a refreshed, inspired memory, with a clearer idea of what a nursery can be.
