Who we are
We are Erwin and Kim van Rijn (van Ruiten). We live in Sassenheim with our 3 daughters, Sam, Kris and Noor. In 2013 we took over a plot of horticultural land in Roelofarendsveen from the family. Kim grew up here. This plot is beautifully located on the edge of Roelofarendsveen. The land overlooks meadows with the Veendermolen in the background. This land originally belonged to grandma Rika.
Our grandmother's land
Since 2015 we have been dreaming about transforming this plot into a small-scale recreation park. Since 2023, the park has been open to guests. Our goal is to let as many people as possible enjoy the area. The plot is in a rural location, yet in the center of the Randstad. Roelofarendsveen is an undiscovered tourist village with a variety of recreational opportunities. Walking, cycling, boating, fishing, canoeing, supping, swimming, sailing, but also visiting museums and attractions, it's all nearby.
Our plan and the latest developments
Our dream has become a reality. We built the detached greenhouse vacation homes at the very end of the narrow strip of land. Each house has its own dock for a boat. We have also created vacation homes in the existing building (called De Kwekerij). The old greenhouse has been transformed into a multi–functional space for receiving guests, storing materials, and a shared recreation room.
De Tulpenacker
When tulips were still grown in the open fields, grandma's land was used for this. Where the recreational houses will be, there was a long greenhouse where the family business grew its tulips. Hence the name Tulpenacker. Tulips as a reference to what was produced, and acker is the historical name of arable land or cultivational land.
Roelofarendsveen
This is Kim's hometown. Roelofarendsveen is also called the tulip of the Randstad. This small village supplies about 25% of the Dutch tulip production, which is enormous. It is not without reason that a huge tulip adorns the local water tower. You can see the water tower in our logo.
Erwin and Kim
After his education at the HAS, Erwin has always worked in flowers. He specialized in Italy and still works at Van der Plas Flowers & Plants in Rijnsburg. After her BE education at the Hague University of Applied Sciences, Kim started working at Rabobank, then in bulb export and later in her family's tulip business at the office. Kim no longer works here, but is now mainly concerned with de Tulpenacker. We have a clear goal in mind, to create a beautiful part of Roelofarendsveen, which many people can enjoy.
Ruiten Fleur
The family business still produces tulips. Grandpa Siem founded the company, small-scale and labor-intensive. His sons, Evert and Paul, switched to tulip cultivation and were able to expand the company. The third generation, Mark (Kim's brother), has further automated the company. Tulips are no longer grown on the open fields, but in water. And where possible, the business processes are automated. Curious about how things are going at the company?