 It was purchased by Heemstede and made into a public park in 1913.It has been the scene of two international flower shows, the Flora of 1935 and the Flora of 1953..

Jan Hope installed the first steam engine for garden use at the site of this windmill in 1781, which had an opposite purpose than most Dutch windmills.He wanted to pump water into his estate to grow the unusual plants and trees he had cultivated in the dry sand.