Karel Heemskerk and Kees Rietvink are very much integrated in their local community of flower producers. They regularly participate in ‘study groups’, where different growers gather to share knowledge, experience and expertise.

This is a typical practice in Holland that was first initiated in the aftermath of World War II, when the government was looking for the best ways to replenish stocks of food and other supplies to rebuild the nation.

Dutch horticulturists have continued to find that this kind of cooperation is beneficial to all, and is a contributing factor in the country’s famed success in exporting flowers and plants.

In 2003 the Heemskerk-Rietvink nursery was one of the featured businesses in ‘Kom in de Kas’ (‘Come into the greenhouse’).  This is an annual open day when local residents are invited to visit horticulture businesses in order to help them understand how the industry works, with particular regard to effects on the environment.