Central Florida family business is blossoming with help from Walt Disney World

SANFORD, Fla. — Over the past five decades, Dutch Mill Nursery, a third-generation Central Florida business, has supplied millions of plants to Walt Disney World.

The Nursery is one of more than 2,500 small businesses in Florida that Disney works with to help display the magic within one of the happiest places on earth. For more than 50 years, Dutch Mill Nursery has produced millions of flowering plants, such as violas, ajugas, geraniums, caladiums, begonias, pentas and sunflowers, for Walt Disney World.

The nursery is located at 541 Upsala Rd, Sanford. “Our business has grown from retail to a successful wholesale operation over the past five decades thanks to working with Disney,” said Jinny, daughter and second-generation Lommerse family member.

Dutch Mill Nursery (Walt Disney World/Walt Disney World)

Millions of guests visit Disney parks and resorts every year to photograph flowers and plants. Around every corner, the colors in bloom offer something magical to be discovered.

The most memorable of all is the Mickey floral bed in front of the iconic train station at Magic Kingdom. This exceptionally beautiful display of flower art alone has about 7,000 plants, the majority of which are grown right here in Central Florida at Dutch Mill Nursery. Jinny continues, “We always get so excited and proud every time we see our plants and color combinations each season at theme parks and resorts.”

Today, the Lommerse hometown family business continues to blossom with more than 16 acres and 25 greenhouses in Sanford, Florida.

The third-generation Central Florida business came to life with just one acre and planters in 1961. Ten years later, it began supplying locally grown plants and flowers to Disney as the company prepared for the opening of Magic Kingdom in October 1971.

As Walt Disney World expanded, so did Dutch Mill Nursery. Today, the Lommerse family business continues to grow, with more than 16 acres and 25 greenhouses in Central Florida.