Bob and I were in the Netherlands for the tulip bloom several years ago, and it was truly indescribable. Look at these photos:
Keukenhof, known as the Garden of Europe, is
the one of the best places to view the abundance of spring flowers
in the South Holland region of the Netherlands ..
Amsterdam's flower market, the
Bloemenmarkt, reflects the country's passion for cut flowers and
plants.
Around seven million bulbs are planted each
year in the park at Keukenhof, in an area of 32
hectares.
(Hectare equvalent to 2.471 acres x 32 = 79.1
acres)
The Bloemenmarkt - set on the capital's
Singel canal and said to be the world's only floating flower market
- has a score of stalls where you can buy all sorts of plants,
flowers, bulbs and seeds.
The mild climate of Holland, with
its wet springs, makes it an ideal place for bulb
cultivation.
Tulips originated in the east and were
brought to Holland from the Ottoman Empire in the mid
1500s.
In springtime, the lowland area by the
North Sea is carpeted with fields of gladioli, hyacinths,
lilies, daffodils, crocuses... and, of course, tulips.
Keukenhof - literally 'kitchen
garden' - is part of the hunting grounds of the ancient Teylingen
estate.
This year, the theme for the Keukenhof
exhibition is Germany : Land of Poets and
Philosophers.
The patchwork quilt of colours in the
Keukenhof park, just outside Lisse in South Holland , is a
veritable feast for the eyes.
The bulbs of Keukenhof are re-planted each
year according to the current trends and in collaboration with a
number of gardening magazines.
Spring in Keukenhof is one of the main
tourist attractions of the Netherlands .
The best way to appreciate
the full glory of the Dutch spring is to hire a bike and cycle one
of the tourist routes among the bulb fields.
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