The Keukenhof www.keukenhof.nl is billed as the worlds largest garden which attracts more than three quarters of a million people during its annual eight week show each spring. Millions of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths bulbs bloom every year. It is open from late March to late May every year but the dates vary depending on the weather so check first if you are planning on going.

The only way to access the Keukenhof is by private vehicle or bus. We truly tripped upon it when visiting the Netherlands in the middle of April, 2000 and again in May of 2001 Verna visited while her good friend Bonnie Mardis was in Amsterdam. In 2000, we had just landed in Rotterdam and drove north toward Amsterdam, but since we didn’t want to drive the bikes directly into the city, we stopped in Lisse to look for a hotel. Unfortunately, because it was the flower show season, rooms were hard to come by, especially since we had accidently stopped in the very town where the gardens are. After a couple of unsuccessful tries, we found one hotel which offered rooms in a private home (we believe the home of the manager). Since we were desperate, we quickly took him up on his offer. The room was lovely and quiet in a nearby neighborhood, close enough to walk to town for dinner.

The next day we headed to the flower show, not really sure what to expect. It costs about $10 US for the entry fee. Then you are free to wander for all long as you like through the acres of landscaped gardens. And they were lovely.

 We were there just after the daffodils and hyacinths had bloomed, so the fragrance was wonderful. The early tulips were just starting to open and the later ones had budded but remained tightly closed. The gardens are fully landscaped with trees, lawns, and ponds, all highlighted with beds of blooming color. They have really done an exquisite job with the layout and it is pleasant to walk about for hours. Just outside the gardens are the fields (above) where they grow the bulbs for shipping all over the world.

Of course, at every corner there is a small hut with a bulb company selling bulbs for next year. And yes, they will ship anywhere. 

There are also several large pavillions chock full of flowers as well. Because of the protection of the pavilion, some of the later blooming tulips were on display here. One enclosure was full of exotic orchids (right), while another was full of huge arrangements of Dutch Iris of every variety

Verna & Bonnie visited the Keukenhof for a morning of flower-viewing in May of 2001. As expected, it was gorgeous. We had been there last year a month earlier and found it a bit different at this time - more tulips and all the trees were leafed out. One of the pavilions this time was full of exotic lilies and the scent was overwhelming! Verna has never seen so many lilies in one place and they both truly enjoyed the exhibit. At left is Bonnie with a display of the rubrum lilies and at left was the entry display of mixed lilies. So it appears that arriving at any time of the 8-week show is worth the effort. Several bus tours are available from major hotels in the city, so it quite easy to get to. There was also a stop at a bulb grower where they learned a bit of the history of the tulip - they originally grew wild in China and Russia, but only took on popular appeal once they were brought to Turkey where they were first cultivated. The following excerpt explains how valuable tulips were at the height of the tulip mania:.

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