Flower garden Keukenhof
Netherlands is known for its tulips, but the country cultivates many other kinds of flora. You can admire them all at Keukenhof, the world's largest flower garden, located in the small town of Lisse
Spring is the best time to visit the land of windmills. As soon as the first rays of the sun stroke the soil, the plants sprout and grow rapidly. Imagine those colours: bright yellow daffodils fields alternate with white, blue and tenderly pink hyacinths, whose intoxicating scent may be smelt from very afar. In the distance you can see orange, purple and red stripes of tulips. (I am convinced they set it up on purpose to be so photogenic!). And around the canals, adorable little houses and delightful gardens with a million decorative gadgets are standing...
The symbol of Netherlands is, of course, the tulip. It originates from Turkey, where it grew in the mountains. But Sultan Suleiman I loved it so much that he let new species bred and used them to decorate his palace and to give to important guests. One of them was Viennese Ambassador De Busbecq who remained very impressed and brought them to Europe in the 16th century. He mistakenly claimed that the Turks called them tulbent or tuliband, which was actually a term for turban; but the name stuck forever. The first flowers were planted in the imperial garden in Vienna, from which they got to Prague, to the court of Emperor Rudolf II.
According to another version, the bulbs came to Europe by chance in 1562 in a cloth package. The merchant from Antwerp, who bought it, ate a few and threw the rest into the garden; in the spring they surprised him with beautiful flowers.
We ́ll probably never know how it happened, but it is certain that they got to England in 1578 thanks to the Dutch botanist Carolus Clusius – grown from bulbs De Busbecq gave him. In 1593 he introduced them to the Netherlands, to the botanical garden of the University of Leiden, where he worked as a professor of botany. As he was quite avaricious, he sold the tulips at astronomic prices. No wonder that one night somebody stole a handful of bulbs from his garden. They were bred and hybridized and soon the whole country was flooded with them.
In France, they "discovered" them only in 1598 and under Louis XIV they became a symbol of status. The ladies from the upper society proudly pinned the expensive flower to their chest. Tulip inspired also manufacturers of fabrics, furniture and fashion designers.
Initially, there was little interest in tulips. Dutch love for these flowers began in a non-romantic way in the 17th century when they used them to get rid of the bad smell. But when they found out that by crossing it is quite easy to create new varieties and colours, they fell in love with them.
In 1629, hundred fifty varieties were described; the first single-hued yellow came into the world in 1665.
Growers began to grow rich; the bulbs quantity was limited and interest increased. First, they asked one guilder for a piece, but prices rose steadily and soon it was a thousand times the amount. They also traded them on a stock exchange. Tulipmania reached its peak in 1636-37, at that time people were willing to give their house for a bulb. In Utrecht, a man exchanged his brewery for three precious pieces! The parliament even approved a law under which the person who damaged the bulbs, was in danger of imprisonment.
But when one day supply exceeded demand, prices dropped sharply. Many traders went bankrupt and the whole economy got into big trouble. The tulip suddenly became an "ordinary" flower that everyone could buy. Tulipmania ended, but the Netherlands is still the largest and best known producer of these beautiful flowers. They are grown in huge quantities for the whole of Europe and sold every day on the Aalsmeer flower stock exchange market.
However, the country cultivates many other kinds of flowers. You can admire them all at Keukenhof, the largest flower park in the world, located in the small town of Lisse between Amsterdam and The Hague.
Once, this area served as a hunting ground for Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut's. She and her entourage brought catches to the kitchen, where they were prepared with herbs and vegetables grown in the adjacent garden. (Keukenhof means "garden kitchen"). It was not until 1949 that a group of prominent growers established a permanent flower outdoor display, which today is one of the greatest attractions of the Netherlands. In fact, it was the idea of Mayor of Lisse who wanted the breeders to have a chance to present their new hybrids to help export.
One piece of advice: when you park on that huge meadow in front of the park, go to the forest behind it. It is full of beautiful bluebells!
Over seven million flowers bloom on an area of 32 hectares - tulips of all kinds, shapes and sizes; daffodils, hyacinths and other bulbs, successfully arranged among trees, statuettes and lakes in a way that it is like being in the middle of a wilderness untouched by human hands. There are 15 kilometres of winding paths at a disposal. Pansies, lilac, amaryllis, crocuses and lilies are embedded in amazing nooks with fountains, statues or glittering glass decorations. Swans gracefully swim on a lake; sometimes ducks waddle across the road. Surrounded by tender trills of the birds, one feels like in paradise.
Despite the large area of flowering beds, you will not find a single withered leaf or wilted head. I don't know how the Dutch do it! If it was a group of people to take care of it, it would have to be a team borrowed from the pyramid builder and if they had to pay them, the national economy would have crashed in two months. The only explanation is that each flower is kept by its own elf or a little flower fairy ... :)
Keukenhof is only open from mid-March to mid-May; later, tourists will be replaced by fifty gardeners. They need to capture the right moment and cut off the flowers in time for all the nutrients to go into the bulbs. Then they will remove them from the soil and crossbreed so that they can plant them again in the fall. Tulips reward them with a meter-high stem and flowers as large as a human head.
There are three pavilions where you can see the original floral decoration, interesting new varieties or arrangements of flowers that fall from the tall stands like waterfalls or create gigantic fragrant trees in huge vases. The art and photographic exhibitions are often held in this space; but thematic displays, dedicated to flowering cherries, roses, orchids, lilies, carnations and lilacs are fascinating too.
Today, Keukenhof is the third most photographed place in the world. You can spend there all day, and maybe it is better to take a trip as a ladies' ride, especially if you are the type that has to take a picture of every single flower. I thought I wasn’t, but I confess that it is very, very hard to resist those beautiful colourful heads…
If the fresh air will make you tired, have a rest in one of the restaurants, on a sunny terrace or in a cosy café, where the floral scent is mixed with the sweet smell of the small Dutch pancakes poffertjes. And before leaving, do not forget to buy a freshly cut bouquet, seedlings or bulbs!
See also:
Tulip Fields - Bollenstreek, i. area from Leiden to Haarlem
Flower parade, Bloemencorso - Bollenstreek, area from Leiden to Haarlem
2 Months
