The Flowering Dutchman

About the Book

This memoir recounts the life of Hans Zwager, Dutchman from the Netherlands, who got caught up in WWII as a marine. He later became a bank employee and met his wife in Kenya, where they continued to live in the Djinn Palace, Lake Naivasha, East Africa growing flowers for Europe.

About the Author

Hans Zwager was born in Holland in 1926. On the same day, flags were being flown all through the land as it was also the birthday of Prince Hendrik, prince consort of Queen Wilhemina.

In his teens, Hans studied classical and jazz music, becoming a brilliant pianist.

During Germany's occupation of Holland in World War Two, Hans escaped to Belgium. He eventually joined Netherland's marines, and was later attached to the American Unit in Scotland.

After the war, Hans Zwager joined the Netherland Bank's Pakistan branch, but later transferred to East Africa to join the Nairobi, Kenya branch. Before long, he met and married the beautiful red-haired, June Ashworth. Hans and his wife have always been successful in business and together they have travelled the world.

For the last 30 years, the Zwagers have owned and made their main home at Oserian (the Djinn Palace), set on the shores of Kenya's Lake Naivasha, and have become the largest flower growers (specialising in roses) in the world. Planeloads of carnations, statice and other flower varieties are sent daily to flower auction houses in Holland, England and Switzerland.

One of their many successful projects is a 20,000-acre area set aside for a Wildlife Sanctuary into which they have imported, from other parts of Kenya, several pairs of endangered white rhinos, which now breed and browse happily with hundreds of zebras, gazelles, ostriches, leopards, cheetahs and many other "plains" game. At dusk, hippos wander from the lake to the sanctuary, knowing they are safe from poachers.

In a first phase geothermal project, Hans Zwager has built huge electrical power houses to harness the natural force of heat and CO2, that comes screaming from deep 5,000 foot, natural steam-holes on his property. The electricity now heats hundreds of Oserian greenhouses and fumigates the soil.

During a State visit to Kenya, Jian Zermin, President of China, was invited to visit the Oserian Flower Farm. The president was "deeply impressed" with all he had seen of the Zwager projects.

Shortly afterwards, Hans Zwager was informed that he was on Kenya's Honour's list. On Jamhuri Day, December 12th, 1998, the then President of Kenya, the Honourable Daniel Arap Moi, presented Hans Zwager Kenya's Medal of Honour, the MBS, Moran of the Burning spear.