There are 1,000 varieties of tulips at Keukenhof Gardens. Here, they sway behind a border of grape hyacinths.If you’re a lover of spring flowers, especially tulips, a trip to the Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands may interest you.
Keukenhof, meaning “kitchen garden,” is situated on the grounds of a former castle, inhabited during the 15th century, where herbs and vegetables originally were grown to be used in the local palace kitchen.
In 1857, the gardens were landscaped by Jan Zocher, a prominent Dutch landscape architect, where some of the over 2,500 trees now visible in the park still remain.
Established in 1949 as a flower exhibit, growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe displayed their latest hybrids in an attempt to boost the Netherlands’ export industry. All types of bulbous plants are showcased in this floral extravaganza, as are a variety of perennials. Growers donate their bulbs which are planted according to a “master plan” for the year.
The gardens have now grown to attract 850,000 visitors annually, who come from all over the world to view the over 70 acres of spectacular floral displays.
LARGEST
FLOWER GARDEN
With 7 million flower bulbs planted annually in the park this is the world’s largest flower garden. There are 1,000 varieties of tulips — national emblem of the Netherlands — alone. In the Keukenhof Gardens, visitors celebrate spring in all its magnificence with breathtaking, multi-colored gardens. The gardens include Europe’s largest fountain, a 700-tree labyrinth, a scavenger trail and petting zoo for children.
There are many inspirational gardens, incorporating garden sculptures, to gaze at along with ponds and waterways, pavilions showcasing flower shows, greenhouses, children’s play areas and a boat tour through tulip fields. The latter are so huge they can be seen from a plane, appearing as strips of huge bright ribbons covering the ground.
The Annual Flower Parade, with over 20 floats filled with millions of flowers, is a highlight each year along with various parades during the Easter weekend. There are seven special inspirational gardens at Keukenhof including the Garden Lovers Garden; Decking Garden; Town Garden; Outdoor Room; Woodland Garden; Round Garden and the Patio Garden.
PERMANENT FRAMEWORK
Each garden has a permanent basic framework of trees, shrubs, hedges and wooden walls or fences. But the rest of the plantings, including perennials and flower bulbs, are replanted and reorganized every year according to current garden trends. Each garden is different, ranging from romantic pastels to more colorful folk gardens.
Increasingly more attention is being paid to the environment, with the result that there is less paving and more greenery. Each spring containers and garden furniture are used to create a totally different feeling. There are plenty of places to sit, relax, meditate and drink in the unique flavors of the gardens.
Flowers, flowers and more flowers! Open for only six weeks each year, this year the garden was open from March 18 to May 16, 2010, showcasing the theme “From Russia with Love.” A Russian flower mosaic of St. Basils Cathedral using 70,000 bulbs was just one display interpreting the theme.
All this splendor is crammed into a few short weeks each spring. When the gardens open in March the display begins with daffodils, crocus and narcissi. Tulips appear a few weeks later along with hyacinths.
It’s said the best time to visit is the last half of April, but when I recently visited early this month the flowers were magnificent. Weather at this time of year can be quite windy and cool with temperatures in the 40s and 50s, so if you’re planning to take this trip, be sure to dress warmly.
From May 6 through 16 the largest Lily Show in the world was held in the Willem Alexander pavilion of the Keukenhof, featuring over 20,000 lilies, including 300 different varieties. Another pavilion displayed a huge variety of delicate orchid plants.
YEAR-ROUND INDUSTRY
In Holland, flowers are a year-round industry. Since the bulbs are not dug up until late summer, when their leaves have absorbed enough food to nourish next year’s bloom, they cannot be shipped until early fall. Growers are stationed at kiosks throughout the park wielding huge, colorful books containing pictures of bulbs that are available for you to order. If you visit the gardens, be sure to bring a pad and pencil to write down the names of the bulbs and their growers.
Next year, the Keukenhof Gardens theme will be “Germany: Poets and Philosophers” and the garden will be open from March 24 to May 20. Admission tickets can be purchased online in January, 2011.
To arrive at Keukenhof, visitors can travel the waterways of Holland and Belgium on a riverboat cruise that includes a tour of the garden, as I did, drive one hour from Amsterdam, or travel the Netherlands Railway, which sells a special Keukenhof ticket that will take you via bus from the Leiden Central Station.
Although Keukenhof is the most photographed place on earth, it’s impossible to capture the beauty of these gardens and their brilliant bulbs and flowers in pictures. This is a “garden-lovers garden” that must be visited in person to experience the true splendor of spring.
GARDEN NOTES
The South Shore Garden Club will host an open meeting tea party June 8, from noon to 3 p.m. in the Paul Kroon Center of Messiah Lutheran Church in Annadale. The $10 admission includes tea sandwiches, desserts, scones, clotted cream and assorted herbal teas. Guest speaker Patricia Crawford Berg’s theme is “Making Bridal Arrangements.” For reservations, call 966-8164.
Lee Gugliada is past president of the Great Kills Garden Club and past director of First District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State.
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