Karel with a bunch of Delphinium 'Delft Blue' ready for the cut flower auction

His family has long-established roots in the area, which can be traced back through and old nicknaming system, which is very handy as ‘Heemskerk’ itself is as common as ‘Smith’ or ‘Jones’ in this region.

Karel’s family nickname is ‘Cat’, due to an ancestor who famously killed a cat many, many years ago.

Karel took over the nursery from his father, who in turn had inherited it from another family member.