Long before Eleonore founded her nursery in Zeelend, in the far south-western corner of The Netherlands, esteemed artists such as van Goch came here to paint. They were drawn by the area's particularly clear light, which reveals an extra level of beauty in the colours of flowers.

Today visitors from all over Europe come here to enjoy the beaches, but due to The Netherlands' unpredictable northern European climate, many find themselves diverting to inland activities, and a visit to Eleonore de Koning's nursery is high on that agenda.

A place to drink coffee is an essentail part of a traditional Dutch welcome

The nursery is a very welcoming place. There is the opportunity to sit down and relax with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and check out the Orpington chickens, while getting acquainted with Bisquit, the extremely friendly Abysinnian cat.

 
Believe it or not these two unlikely companions don't bother each other! The chickens are for sale by the pair.

The children are kept busy with a painting corner, enabling any budding artists to follow in the van Goch's footsteps!

Mature plants are exhibited for examination

Endless rows of display plants wait to be explored, where visitors can choose the varieties they want to buy by looking at mature specimens. A few themed gardens are also planted up to give inspiration for combination planting.

A good selection of  varieties of perennials are offered, including many Oriental Poppies, Achilleas and Hemerocallis which are of Eleonore’s own breeding.

The soil here is quite chalky, which seems to have a very positive effect on the Poppies.