Leiden sits on the edge of the famous Bollenstreek, the bulb-growing region world-renowned for its spectacular tulip and daffodil fields that draw millions of visitors every spring. The light, well-drained dune sand soils of the coastal strip between Leiden and the sea create ideal conditions for growing bulbs and cut flowers. But strawberries, raspberries and other soft fruits also thrive in this area, and in the polders to the east of the city you’ll find traditional small-plot vegetable growing. From the Leiden Rembrandt polder landscape to the flower-rich dune edges: the countryside around Leiden is close and the harvest abundant.
U-Pick Farms in and around Leiden
Around Leiden, Lisse, Voorhout, Alphen aan den Rijn and Sassenheim you’ll find a variety of pick-your-own farms and flower gardens where you are very welcome. You can pick tulips, summer flowers, strawberries and fresh seasonal produce in one of the most beautiful flower-growing regions in the Netherlands. You’ll also find an overview of all u-pick farms in South-Holland .
The best u-pick farms near Leiden: our picks
Leiden has always had a preference for gardens — the Hortus Botanicus is the most beautiful evidence of that. But working picking fields also spread out around the city: from the dune edge to the green Rhine banks and the farm polders to the east, the offer is more varied than you’d expect from a university city.
In Boskoop, thirteen kilometres to the east, Juuls Landje Voedselbos offers a distinctive experience: a food forest with edible plants you won’t encounter in a standard picking garden. A visit here feels more like a botanical discovery trail than classic self-picking.
Nine kilometres away towards Alphen aan den Rijn, Kwekerij Eko Logisch in Roelofarendsveen is the organic vegetable nursery with the greatest diversity in the region: biodynamically grown, without artificial fertiliser or pesticides, with a crop palette that lasts the full season.
In Zevenhuizen, eighteen kilometres from Leiden, Natuurluck is a Skal-certified organic market garden with forty vegetable varieties. A business focused on direct sales with a reputation larger than its size suggests.
Zorgboerderij De Hoop in Ter Aar, fourteen kilometres from Leiden, combines day activities with a farm vending machine: fresh produce from its own land around the clock, even when the farm is closed.
Bloomboost in the region focuses on organic garden plants and cut flowers — for those who want to establish their own picking garden at home or are looking for inspiration for the growing season.
Tip: the Bollenstreek is within cycling distance of Leiden. Combine an April tulip-field ride with a visit to one of the picking gardens towards Boskoop or Alphen.