About us
About us
In 1981, I, Hans Kramer, started the nursery in my early twenties. I had completed my training at the former "Rijks Middelbare Tuinbouwschool" (National Secondary Horticultural School) in Utrecht and couldn't wait to start my own business. A small corner of the Veluwe countryside, where my grandfather had originally farmed, was converted into a nursery. Beech hedges and oak walls were planted to provide shelter from the wind in this cold, dry spot on a moraine in the Veluwe. We immediately started propagating and growing plants, and my wife Miranda joined me in 1990.
After more than 40 years, the hedges and oak walls look mature and provide shelter not only for the thousands of different species of plants that have been planted here, but also for countless birds, insects and other creatures. This is very useful, because we grow organically and this helps enormously to maintain a good balance. Our intention was and still is to run a small-scale nursery, where variety and quality are paramount, but also to propagate as much as possible ourselves and, above all, to enjoy our work. We currently employ around five people at the nursery, and during the season we usually have one or two foreign interns joining us.
What is important to us?
People sometimes ask us, "What is the philosophy behind this company?" That's a difficult question. I started out as an ignorant young man in his twenties. I knew nothing and had no vision or convictions whatsoever. I had been crazy about plants from an early age and just wanted to work with plants and become independent. We were lucky because the early 1980s were a good time for us. Gardening clubs were on the rise and Groei en Bloei (Growth and Bloom) had more members than ever. It was the era of plant markets, colleagues and we organised one open day after another. Now things have calmed down a bit, and when we think about it, a philosophy has definitely grown behind Hessenhof.
What we consider very important is the range. Of course, we are concerned about the disappearance of plant species, anywhere in the world. But just as important is the disappearance of old varieties and cultivars. Plants that our ancestors selected for various reasons and gave a name to. We notice that many of these plants are hardly ever cultivated, and if something is no longer cultivated, it disappears. Apart from the fact that we find this extremely interesting, this is one of the reasons why our mother plant collection contains more than 7,000 species. Perhaps the largest assortment in Western Europe.
How do you grow that range? Well, you mainly do it yourself. That's the most satisfying and enjoyable work, and of course you grow it organically. In all the years that we have been growing organically, we have become completely convinced that this is the best way. It gives you such a good feeling, especially when you also use peat-free potting soil, in our case leaf mould that we compost ourselves. This allows us to grow high-quality plants that take root easily and last for years.
What really bothers us is the massive use of plastic in horticulture. How many plastic pots, bags and, not to mention, labels leave the nursery every year? We are deeply ashamed! If we could get rid of it, we would be able to work in a circular manner. That is why we urge you to return the pots from Hessenhof (and no others) to us. They will be reused here. We would prefer to use biodegradable pots and try out a new model every year, but we have not yet found the ideal pot.
The word 'circular' has just been mentioned, and that is where we want to go. We have 42 solar panels on the roof of the shed, all organic waste from the nursery is composted, and we make our own potting soil from leaves collected in the neighbourhood. Propagation is actually also a circle, from mother plants to seeds or cuttings to saleable plants. But again, the use of plastic is the biggest problem.
In addition, we must also look to the future. In recent years, the Hessenhof has become a nursery where young people learn and work to master this wonderful profession. We have had interns from almost every country in Europe, and they have brought with them a wealth of inspiration and ideas! Conversely, we hope that they will be able to put the knowledge they have gained here to good use. Starting their own nursery is, of course, their ultimate goal, and some have already succeeded! That is what we want to see: Hessenhof as a breeding ground for anyone who wants to start growing organically. It is something we are committed to and firmly believe in. In the future, there will be room for small, traditional nurseries that do everything themselves, independently and with their own range of products.
Why visit the Hessenhof?
In the more than forty years that the nursery has been in existence, it has grown into a place where people come from far and wide. Even enthusiasts from abroad know how to find their way to the Hessenhof! The huge range of plants has enormous appeal for plant lovers. From the more than 7,000 varieties planted in the mother beds, new plants are constantly being propagated, and you will always find more than 3,000 varieties on the sales beds.
The cultivation at Hessenhof is also a remarkable story. With the exception of a few patented varieties, we do not purchase anything and propagate and grow 98% of our range ourselves. This is quite unique. Our own potting soil, made from leaf mould, is also renowned. The crowning glory of this work was the award of the official Skal quality mark in 2010, making us one of the very few recognised organic nurseries for ornamental plants.
We are quite proud of our beautiful spot in the Veluwe; it has almost become a little paradise. Visitors are always delighted by the atmospheric, intimate place where you can spend hours exploring. Hidden behind hedges and wooded banks lies a paradise for garden lovers.
In short, you can easily spend half a day here. The cosy nursery shed, where you can buy handy gardening items and enjoy a cup of coffee while browsing the extensive reading table, contributes to a relaxing visit. If you have some time left, you can explore the Veluwe countryside. Extensive forests and heathland are within walking distance.
The plants, what are their special features?
For us, it's all about the plants. Every year, the latest varieties are planted in the mother beds, which now contain almost 7,000 different varieties. They are critically assessed. Only the best are propagated, which guarantees an increasingly high-quality range. Every year, we offer a changing range of around 3,000 varieties of perennials.
Botanical species
Botanical species are plants that occur naturally and have not been modified or bred. These can be wild plants from the Netherlands, but just as easily species from the mountain meadows of Central Europe or beautiful American prairie plants that often attract just as many or sometimes even more insects. Every year we discover new species that make us wonder: "How is it possible that this has not been cultivated before?" We find searching for unknown botanical species much more fun and exciting than growing yet another variety of Phlox or Echinacea. A good example is the great diversity in the Apiaceae family, which includes many of the plants we grow.
Drought-resistant and prairie plants
Drought-resistant and prairie plants are very popular right now, but we have been working with these plants for decades out of sheer necessity. Our nursery is located on a high, dry moraine, and the groundwater is more than 15 metres deep. For this reason, we have always grown a wide range of plants for dry soil. These include species with deep taproots such as Baptisia, Thermopsis and Lupine, but we also have a large assortment of semi-shrubs such as Indigofera and Lespedeza. We also have lots of Salvia, Nepeta, Phlomis, Euphorbia and Agastache. Most prairie plants can also be found here. We have set up a special sales section for drought-loving plants. Our ornamental grasses, of which we grow around 100 varieties, are arranged according to their location.
Shade plants and ferns
A group of plants that are very close to our hearts are forest plants. Like the plant group above, this has to do with the location of the nursery. You never have to go far to see woods here. Over the years, we have collected many shade plants, which requires a lot of patience because they do not usually grow very quickly. This is why only a very limited range is cultivated commercially. We have hundreds of them: liverworts, wood anemones, March violets, Solomon's seals and ferns. You will find them in a wide variety. The best time to see them is in April and May.
Native plants
In recent years, demand for these types of plants has grown enormously. We have always had a wide range of native plants, but they were scattered throughout the nursery. Since 2025, we have created a separate corner for them so that they are all together, with shade-loving and sun-loving plants indicated separately. This is also where the so-called native cultivars are found. For example, the light blue wood anemone, which was once found in the wild but is still a cultivar (= variety). It is sometimes difficult to choose which native plants we should and should not grow. Should we offer ragwort, for example? It is fine for a large natural garden, but it will quickly overgrow a small, shady city garden. We do not offer highly invasive or self-seeding species.
Herbs, aromatic plants and edible perennials
A few years ago, we set up a separate corner where herbs, aromatic plants and edible perennials are grouped together. You will find many perennial herb plants (we only sell seeds of the annuals), such as mint, sage, rosemary and many varieties of thyme. We also have a wide range of plants with aromatic, fragrant foliage, such as santolina, lavender and pycnanthemum. In recent years, we have also been growing more and more edible perennials. Some are still relatively unknown, such as the delicious-tasting Peltaria alliacea and the oyster leaf, Mertensia maritima.
Semi-hardy and container plants
In recent winters, it has become increasingly easy to leave semi-hardy and container plants in the ground. Nine times out of ten, they simply return the following year, especially after covering them with a layer of fallen leaves during the winter. Agapanthus is of course one of these plants, and we usually have around thirty varieties in stock. They have remained popular for many years. The same applies to the so-called Mexican Salvias. There is hardly any other plant group that produces new selections so quickly. This group also includes many Crocosmias, as well as 'hardy' Begonias that thrive in the shade.
Plants for enthusiasts
Finally, and please don't hold this against us, we also grow plants for enthusiasts. These are sometimes plants that you can hardly find anywhere else because they are simply rare or only grow in specific locations. Sometimes they are plants that have a short lifespan or need a very specific growing location in pure sand or acidic, moist soil. Think of plants such as Romneya or Meconopsis or the Satureja genus, which still provides nectar for bees so late in the year. But above all, they are plants that do not fit in with the current craze for prairie plants. It seems as if nothing else exists anymore. Just open any gardening magazine and you'll be bombarded with Monardas, Echinaceas, Veronicastrums and ornamental grasses. We have nothing against prairie plants, but we think it's a shame that so many other valuable plants no longer get the attention they deserve. For example, we grow the largest assortment of Cimicifugas (or Actaeas, if you prefer) in the Netherlands. We have dozens of varieties of Thalictrum, many Primulas and Epimediums, and the list goes on and on, right down to plants for true enthusiasts, such as the autumn-flowering Saxifragas, Trilliums and Veratrums. The latter two take around 6-7 years from sowing to sale. From a purely economic point of view, we should no longer grow these kinds of 'slow' plants. But we are too much of a fine grower, too much of a plant person to ignore plants that enthusiasts love. Sometimes it's just fun to pamper plants, prepare a nice bed for them, water them, give them a little fertiliser and enjoy watching them develop. 'Il faut cultiver son jardin,' as Voltaire wrote, which we like to translate as: 'Growing plants in your own garden makes many people happy.'
The nursery, what else is there?
Even if you are not planning to buy plants, you will be pleasantly surprised when you enter the nursery. The hedges and wooded banks create an intimate atmosphere, making you feel right at home. And there are plants everywhere. Plants in all shapes and sizes. The passion seems to have got out of hand when you realise that we have more than 7,000 varieties. The largest collection can be found in the mother plant garden, where the latest varieties are planted out for assessment. But there is also a large rock garden, an oak wall with a special collection of forest plants, a rubble or gravel garden and beautiful borders. There are lovely corners everywhere where you can find inspiration before browsing the well-organised sales beds. If you want to take a break, enjoy a cup of coffee in the shed, where the reading board is full of gardening magazines and books.
You can also purchase all kinds of items in the shed that you would never find in a garden centre. Small handy tools, metal labels, seed trays, organic fertilisers and handmade frost-resistant pots, to name but a few. The shed is also where gardening clubs and groups are welcomed and where the guided tours we organise during the season start. Every year, there is an interesting range of courses and learning afternoons, which you can find on the website.
