Fantastic Gardens
We were in Holland during Holland in Springtime. Keukenhof Flower Park is located between Amsterdam and The Hague in the heart of western Netherlands' tulip-growing region. The place to see spring blossoms was definitely Keukenhof Gardens
In the 15th century Countess Jacqueline of Bavaria owned the estate where she hunted on the grounds. In the court next to her fortress, Teylingen, she grew herbs and vegetables for the kitchen. Thus the name Keukenhof means Kitchen Garden. In 1850 the original design for the park was made by father and son landscape architects from Haarlem.
The park is unique, world famous, and has been one of the most popular destinations in The Netherlands for sixty years. The garden was established in 1949 by the then mayor of Lisse. The idea was to present a flower exhibit where growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe could show off their hybrids – while helping the Dutch export industry. The abundance of colors and fragrances rival any found elsewhere else in the world.
Keukenhof (roughly pronounced Koo-ken-hoff) boasts more than 7 million flower bulbs planted by hand and is the largest flower garden in the world with nearly 80 acres of magnificent blooms, in 1600 different varieties. The bulbs are replanted every year. The mild climate and wet spring are ideal for bulb cultivation. The gardens are cared for by thirty gardeners!
Talk about photo ops!
We strolled through the 80 acre park over some of the 15 kilometers of footpaths. Its lovely, tree-shaded grounds have ponds, winding paths, streams, and fountains. Once the kitchen garden of a medieval castle, today it is known as the greatest flower show on earth.
The historic park, truly a feast for the eye and senses, is filled with blooming tulips, as well as hyacinths, daffodils, lilies and crocuses. Works of art and sculptures are amidst the magnificent flowers. It is easy to gain inspiration and to relax in the beautiful surroundings.
The theme for 2012 is “Poland, the Heart of Europe”.
The Keukenhof has won prizes as Europe’s most valued attraction. Every year most of the grass, especially under the trees, is removed and about 7000 kilos of annual grass is sown that is not to be walked on!
The 1892 windmill arrived at Keukenhof in 1957 and is on the Dutch Monument list.
There is no question in my mind that this is the most fantastic garden I’ve ever seen and believe me I’ve seen a lot of them.
Every year about 25 Polish fellows arrive to plant the gardens. They stay 6-8 weeks and then return to Poland and they generally do this for five years
I couldn’t help but wonder what the grounds look like when all is bare before planting. The combinations, colors, designs and displays vary year to year. What a fun job it would be to design all the gardens!
We made it to the huge exhibit after several hours of wandering, admiring and photographing display after display. Here we saw tulips that didn’t look anything like a tradition tulip. The double ones looked like peonies. I was fascinated with the ones with fringed edges. Some even looked almost translucent like a fine piece of china bowls. Some were as large as a salad plate!
We did take one respite to sit and just enjoy the scenery and the wonderful aroma of the hyacinths. The sun shone and the wind moderated making for a delightful afternoon.
