KEUKENHOF: PARADISE ON
EARTH
(Photographs from my 2019
Visit to Keukenhof)
For the 2021 Keukenhof
Virtual Tour Please see:
Welcome virtual
visitor! | Keukenhof 2021🌷 - YouTube
As
the bus wound its way towards KEUKENHOF, in the heart of Holland’s tulip land,
a spectacular sight unfolded, stretching for miles on-end were tulips in
vibrant rainbow colors – pink, yellow, red, white, orange and much more. Then
came the road sign “PANORAMA – TULIP LAND”, and I knew I had reached “Paradise
on earth”. Willkommen (Welcome) to KEUKENHOF -The most beautiful spring garden
in the world.
Just
imagine, a historic parkland of 32 hectares (about 80 acres) brimming with
flowering tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and all the other spring bulbs; a
staggering 7 million in all, including an astonishing 600 different varieties
of tulips. A feast for your eyes, and in the midst of all this overwhelming
display of colour: objects of art, special theme pavilions and events to
celebrate the spring season. Keukenhof is an overwhelming experience for people
of all ages. For keen gardeners and for people who simply enjoy a day out.
A lucky coincidence - The Tulips in the Pic are named Mrs. Scheeper's and as luck would have it the lady in the Pic was - A Mrs. Scheeper's, who happened to pass by and I got her to Pose with the Tulip with her namesake.
The
Beginning:
Keukenhof is located in South
Holland, between the towns of Hillegom and Lisse, south of Haarlem and
southwest of Amsterdam. The name Keukenhof - literally
means “Kitchen Garden”. In 1850 Zocher, a landscape architect from Haarlem made
the original design for the garden.
It was the then mayor of Lisse, a small town south of Amsterdam who thought of having
a flower exhibition where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe
could show off their hybrid tulips; this was back in 1949.
Keukenhof:
The
total area of the park measures 32 hectares, that’s about 80 acres, and every
year 7 million flower bulbs are planted, of these there are 600 different varieties
of tulips, and other varieties of flowers such as, hyacinths, narcissi and
crocus. The method adopted for planting is the multi layer type, this means
that different kinds of bulbs are planted in layers and will bloom on the same
spot alternatively in Spring. The bulbs are supplied by 90 bulb growers all
from the Netherlands,
the so-called Court Suppliers.
The park has an amazing 15 kilometers of
walking paths and along the entire length of thes paths, strips of turf grass
are laid out and tulips are arranged in different patterns and themes.
You’ll
see Marilyn and Rambo and meet Prof Rontgen; then there’s Rembrandt’s
favourites and mine too. There are Red lips and Valentine’s; Blusing ladies and
Mistresses; Fancy frills and Foxtrot, all names of TULIPS of course.
Among the many varieties of tulips on
show, encompassing the whole colour specturm; were an astounding variety of
colour combinations - there were the reds and the whites appropriately named
Flaming Parrot; the fiery red and yellows aptly called Rambo. The new varieties
included the dark lilac almost black looking – Queen of the night Tulip, it is
the most sought after and photographed tulip at Keukenhof.
Ms.Annemarie
M.M. Gerards-Adriaansens – Keukenhof’s Public Relations Manager informed me
that the total staff at Keukenhof is 40, consisting of 30 dedicated gardner’s
and 10 administrative staff. She said, “Planting
of the tulip bulbs begins sometime between September and December so as to have
the tulips in full bloom around the third week of March”.
It is
time for me to head back home, one last glance as the sunsets and I know I must
come back again and again. The tulips at Keukenhof have an enchanting hold on you.
Alas,
this year’s Tulip Show – Keukenhof 2021 is online, please enjoy the Virtual
Tours provided everyday on the official website:
http://www.keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html
Video by Sharath Ahuja:
KEUKENHOF PARADISE ON EARTH - YouTube
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