The Flower Love of: “The fifth generation is at the helm here—that’s truly special”

Thera Siemons recently joined Hofland Flowering Plants, the family business run by her husband and sister-in-law. They are the fifth generation to run the nursery in Naaldwijk. “Over 125 years of passion for flowers and plants—you can feel it throughout our company.”

“I’ve been part of my husband Frank’s family for quite some time now. I’ve also been working in the family business since February 2026. Thanks to my in-laws, I ended up in the world of flowers and plants. For the first few years, I worked for a flower and plant exporter. The fact that I now work in the family business is partly practical; it’s easier for me to balance work with caring for our children, who are 4 and 1 years old. Besides that, it’s just nice to work with your husband and other family members. The business really is central to the family. My husband and his sister are the owners. My brother-in-law also works in the business. And my father-in-law is still involved, too.”

Five Generations of Passion
“You can feel the history everywhere in our company. It was founded in 1899 by my husband’s great-great-grandfather, five generations ago. So we’ve been around for over 125 years, and during the celebration of that special anniversary, we were awarded the title of Purveyor to the Royal Household. It’s a wonderful recognition of the quality, reliability, and craftsmanship we’ve been offering for five generations. A sixth generation? That would be wonderful, but we’re not thinking about that yet. My husband and I are in our thirties; we still have some time ahead of us. What is certain is that the children are learning a lot about growing. We live at the farm, so they’re already in the greenhouse every day. We’ll see how their love for this profession develops.”

“At birthday parties, the conversation often turns to the business. And sometimes we have lunch at my in-laws’ house. Yes, then of course the conversation often turns to ‘the garden’ as well. Although my mother-in-law and I—along with two of my sisters-in-law who aren’t in the business—sometimes try to change the subject. But even on the weekend, you can’t always avoid it. When I’m walking through the garden center or the supermarket and I see people carrying our plants… Yeah, then I can’t help but give my husband a nudge. You’re proud of that, after all. And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about: growing a high-quality product that consumers enjoy. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that feeling of pride.”

Spring-blooming flowers for Mother's Day
“It all started with growing fruit. Later came the cacti, tomatoes, and cucumbers. My husband’s grandfather introduced the Schlumbergera, also known as the Christmas cactus. This flowering houseplant is still our main crop. We also have all kinds of lovely spring and summer bloomers. My personal favorite is the Dianthus. It’s a pot carnation that blooms from February through October. New flowers keep appearing, in all shades of pink, red, and purple. It really brings a lot of cheer to your patio, balcony, or garden table. And you can enjoy it for a long time.”

“That makes the Dianthus a lovely gift for Mother’s Day, too. You’ll really make an entrance with something in your hands. Mother’s Day and spring-blooming flowers—that’s a perfect combination. Partly because of that, this time of year is always nice and busy. After all these years, we’re lucky enough to know what to expect. Personally, I give my mother and mother-in-law a beautiful bouquet of flowers. My mother really loves single-variety flowers, so it’ll probably be a large bouquet of exclusive roses or tulips. No, nothing from our own greenhouse—that would be too easy. I like to go the extra mile for my mother and mother-in-law.”