I have been to Amsterdam more times than I can recall but never in Spring. Susan had always wanted to visit during April when the tulips are in the fields, so last year we made the pilgrimage to Keukenhof. Located southwest of Amsterdam Keukenhof is a 70-acre flower garden established in 1949 as a showcase for Dutch bulb growers. Planted with over 7-million bulbs it is most spectacular in late-March through late-May when tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are in bloom.
I’ve loved tulips since planting bulbs in my father’s garden as a boy and have visited the flower markets along the Singel every time I have been to Amsterdam. Primarily a fresh flower and bulb market catering to tourists, it is fun to walk through the stalls and stop for breakfast at one of the several small cafes along the canal.
The day we spent at Keukenhof was a tulip revelation, we’d not imagined the wide range of colors, shapes and sizes of 150 species and over 3000-registered varieties. Many of these are in cultivation at Keukenhof. We spent hours walking about the gardens and exhibitions on this typical April day in Holland, which was rainy, windy and cold. Not even the weather could dampen our enthusiasm for this display of horticultural beauty.
After several hours of walking through the gardens we rode the bus back to Amsterdam passing by fields of tulips in commercial cultivation. Mile after mile of blooming multi-colored tulips ran in long rows passing by our windows. If you go to the Netherlands in the Spring, do not miss a visit to Keukenhof, one of the most beautiful flower gardens in the world.
All images were taken with Samsung Galaxy S21-FE in JPEG or RAW format, processed in Adobe Classic CC 14.2
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