About Us

Our nursery was established in 1956, initially as a farm, producing flower bulbs. In 1985 we decided to grow Hardy Perennials only.

The farm is situated in the historic Dutch city of Haarlem. It is the capital of the provinceHaarlem, the 14th century North Holland and lies in the northern part of the Randstad, one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe. Haarlem has a rich history, dating back to pre-medieval times, as it lies on a thin strip of land above sea level known as the beach ridge. The oldest mentioning of Haarlem dates from the 10th century. By the 12th century it was a fortified town, and became the residence of the Counts of Holland. The shape of the old city was square which was inspired by the shape of ancient Jerusalem.

In the 14th century Haarlem was a major city, the second largest in historical Holland. At the end of the Middle Ages, Haarlem was a flourishing city with a large textile industry, shipyards and beer breweries. The population grew very fast, 18.000 in 1573 to around 40.000 in 1622. In the so-called Golden Age, Haarlem also prospered for its cultural life. World famous painters like Frans Hals; Jacob van Ruisdael and Jan Steen were residents. On the Central Market Square you may find the statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster, who is allegedly the inventor of the printing press.

In 1658, Peter Stuyvesant, the Director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland(USA), founded the settlement of above harlemNew Haarlem in the northern part of Manhattan Islands as an outpost of New Amsterdam at the southern tip of the island. After the English capture of New Netherlands in 1664, the new English colonial administration renamed both the colony and its principal city ‘New York’ , but left the name Haarlem more or less unchanged. The spelling changed to ‘Harlem’ in keeping with contemporary English usage, and the district grew into the vibrant centre of African American culture in New York City by the 20th century.

Today, Haarlem is a quiet, mainly residential town with beautiful old buildings, green parks and picturesque canals and waterways winding through the town.Elswout

Our nursery, located in the south-west part of the city, and the only farm for miles around, is bordered by the 85 Ha large rural estate “ELSWOUT” which was founded in 1632. It is a green area, recognizable at the red beech, planted in 1834 by William Borski, the owner then, on the occasion of the birth of his son. This famous, eye-catching tree is surrounded by our environment-friendly perennial fields.

A. Verschoor Horticulture is a family-run company dedicated to the production of hardy perennials with a passion for breeding. Creating new plants is all about creating harmony. When selecting new varieties, the relationship between the flower and leaf colours, features very high on our agenda. We believe in the notion that individual plants should create a harmonious image, while contrast should come from combinations with other plants. Our hybridizing work is in progress constantly by selecting plants for new shapes; bushiness; resistance to disease and colouring of both flowers and foliage. We have built the business on the principle of reliability; quality; selection and innovation.

Today, our field of activities are the following:

1. Cultivation of about 20 Ha of hardy perennials which can survive unprotected over the winter

2. Breeding of hardy perennials. Many new varieties have been introduced since

3. Export of hardy perennials

4. Collaboration with other hardy perennial producers

5. Collaboration with breeders of hardy perennials all over the globe and testing these varieties for its hardiness in the Northern Hemisphere

6. Production of virus-free mother-stock of hardy perennials ‘in vitro’

7. Import and distribution of herbaceous and tree peonies of Chinese origin

We offer a complete line for all your hardy perennial landscape and garden needs. Our list of varieties consists of over 3000 items which include many exclusivities. Our up-to-date modern facilities and machinery have been evolved for the storage and processing of hardy perennials in order to serve our clients optimally.

We greatly welcome visitors to our colourful perennial nursery from May till September. Opening hours: 09.30 AM – 16.00 PM. We are closed on Saturday and Sunday.