The history of the company starts at the Teylingerlaan in Poeldijk. In 1962 Jan van Leeuwen began cultivating cucumbers and tomatoes under glass and lettuce, cauliflower and endive in soil. One year later Jan switched from cucumbers to disbudded chrysanthemums and then spray chrysanthemums.
In 1967 Jan gave up growing vegetables. He was one of the first growers to commit fully to growing spray chrysanthemums all year round. His assortment consisted of Tokio, Indianapolis and later also Spider.
In 1986 another 12,500 m² of new buildings were added. The varieties Snapper, Cassa and Pink Pompon became the specialities. His three sons, Peet, René and Frank, helped their father regularly in the nursery. In 1987 Peet took over managing the “old nursery” on the Teylingerlaan from his father. Jan continued working on another lot. After 3 years of growing chrysanthemums independently, Peet felt it was time to invest. So the first half of the company was modernised. In the same year (1990) René started René van Leeuwen Nursery in Kwintsheul, a modern nursery of 11,300 m² where several colours of chrysanthemums can be cultivated year-round.
In 1994 Peet renovated the rest of his company, resulting in a modern business where Van Leeuwen Flowers can produce top-quality chrysanthemums. To keep up this top quality in the dark winter period, Peet started using growlights (assimilation lighting).
Frank joined his father Jan in the company, and a year later he assumed control when Jan retired.
In 1998 René bought a parcel of land at De Korenbloem in Naaldwijk to build 15,000 m² of new buildings. He sold the business in Kwintsheul.
In 2002 René installed assimilation lighting to enable the delivery of better quality year-round.
In 2005 Van Leeuwen Flowers, Peet’s nursery, switched over from spray chrysanthemums to disbudded chrysanthemums, and now specialises in Zembla white and Zembla yellow. This turned out to have been a good decision. René expanded the nursery with another 5,000 m² of glasshouse in 2006. A co-generator (WKK) was also installed to warm the greenhouse while also generating electricity.
In 2008 a parcel of land was purchased on the Scherpenhoeklaan. Here Peet created a new company with a surface area of 30,000 m² fitted with all modern technological gadgets and a co-generator (WKK). He stopped working at the Teylingerlaan.
Around this time René felt drawn more to cultivating lilies than chrysanthemums and dared to switch over. And thus the René van Leeuwen Nursery has specialised in oriental lilies since 2009. The assortment consists of Helvetia, Willeke Alberti, Columbia, Energetic and Santander.