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| The Keukenhof on 25 March 2013 Not much was blooming. Lisse, The Netherlands |
The Netherlands outside of Amsterdam has a more country feel; here are the windmills, wooden shoes, and tulip fields. Tulips were brought to the Netherlands in the 1600s from Turkey, and caused a bit of a stir. People went mad over the flowers, and it is rumored that the tulip caused the first market boom and bubble popping in history. They called it tulipomania, and you can read about it here. Since then, the prices of tulips have returned to their normal levels, most average bulbs are cheap, while some rarer bulbs command a higher price. The Dutch have kept their love of the tulip alive and it’s evident in the fields of blooming flowers every spring.
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| Shades of purple/blue hycainths in one of the Keukenhof pavilions. Lisse, The Netherlands |
For years I’ve wanted to see the fields of flowers, neatly laid out in bands of color, making the whole country look like fruit stripes gum. I’ll have to wait a bit longer though because flowers had barely sprouted when we visited! This winter was uncharacteristically cold and blustery, leading to a delayed blooming season. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, we all learn April showers bring May flowers. March is not even part of the rhyme; I should have known.
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| All the shades of hyacinths at the Keukenhof, Lisse, The Netherlands |
Around the park are various pavilions with dedicated exhibits and events throughout the season, much like a county or state fair. Inside these buildings we found blooming flowers. There were more colors and varieties of these plants than I have ever seen before in my life. For example, hyacinths, an early spring bloom that smells amazing; I’m accustomed to four colors: yellow, white, purple and pink. At Keukenhof, there were four shades of purple alone, and a whole new shade, orange.
Also around the park were smaller buildings, like garden sheds, and in these, you could purchase flowers. And I purchased flowers. I plan on making my own version of Keukenhof if everything grows and flourishes. In the fall, the bulbs will be shipped to me in the States, but I may not be there, so I put my mom’s address down. This fall she’ll receive a shipment of 200+ Dutch flower bulbs. This promises to be crazy; also I may owe my mom for the rest of forever for tending them while I’m away. So, next spring, pay a visit to my parents’ house and see a small version of the glory that is Holland.
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