From it ancient origins in the remote valleys of the Tien Shan Mountains of western China to the flower shop on your street corner, the tulip has always been a welcome sign that yes, eventually the snow will disappear and it will be warm again. And nowhere is this early-blooming harbinger of spring more celebrated than at Keukenhof Gardens outside Lisse, Netherlands.
For people the world over, the tulip is synonymous with Holland, and no trip is complete without a visit to the tulip fields … but the timing has to be right. At this time of year, after a long, drab winter we all crave some springtime color. But if you want to see the grandaddy of all flower gardens at Keukenhof it must be from Mid-March to Mid-May.
Gardeners will recognize what a colossal amount of work this tremendous collection of iconic springtime flowers represents, but the details are even more staggering. In early October a team of 40 gardeners begins planting 7 million bulbs which have been donated by over 100 area growers.
The knee-crunching, back-breaking part of the story is that to ensure continuous blooms for 2 months in spring, the industrious gardeners must plant each bed on three different levels – deep, medium, and shallow. It’s called the “lasagna” method, designed so the shallowest bulbs bloom first, followed by the other two in succession. And all planting is done by hand! Look at these flower beds and tell me it doesn’t make your back hurt.
The Netherlands is one of the leading centers of the global flower market, and Dutch horticultural expertise is world-renowned. The history of exactly how this happened is a bit obscured by the mists of time, but apparently Dutch traders brought the first tulips to Europe from the Middle East in the 16th Century; perhaps from somewhere in present day Turkey. It was the Golden Age of Holland, so there were lots of rich people on the prowl for status symbols, and the exotic tulip filled the bill.
“It was deemed a proof of bad taste in any man of fortune to be without a collection of tulips.”
–The Library of Economics and Liberty
This uppity peer pressure produced an irrational demand, which in turn lead to an event that is still discussed in business schools to this day: Tulip Mania. Economists see this craze for tulips as one of the biggest asset bubbles and crashes of all time. To put this into perspective, records exist for the sale of a single Semper Augustus bulb for 5,200 guilders at the peak of the mania. This is more than three times the typical annual earnings of an Amsterdam merchant. Needless to say, when the inevitable crash came all investors, rich and poor alike, learned a harsh lesson about speculation and greed.
At the beginning of May last year as our RTW trip wound down one of our last stops was the Netherlands, specifically to go to Keukenhof. And even though it was late in the season, the flowers were fresh, fabulous, and the very definition of a living rainbow of colors. Honestly, there’s magic in this place, and whether you’re an avid gardener or have never picked up a spade you should see Keukenhof once in your life. It’s that good.
Happy Trails,
James & Terri
P.S. The annual schedule for Keukenhof for 2024 is March 21 – May 12, 2024.
For a deep dive into the history of tulips and tulip mania, this Mother Earth article is excellent.
Photo Credits: 1. Aaron Burden
GALLIVANCE 
One of the highlights of my travels was a visit to the Keukenhof Gardens a few years ago. It was stunning. I have always loved tulips but they were difficult to grow in Alberta, and in Vancouver, the bulbs often drowned in the heavy rains. So this was a site for sore eyes, as they say. I included a visit to these gardens, along with a bit of history, in My Amanda in Holland book. Apparently, the design and sculptures change every year, so it would be worth returning sometime. Your pictures are fabulous!
Darlene, if there’s a photogenic place on the planet it’s Keukenhof. Of course we enjoyed the flowers, but there were a number of special themed floral exhibits scattered about that were attractive as well. When we visited the weather was perfect, and we got an early start to avoid the worst of the crowds so it was a lovely day. And of course it wouldn’t be the same without a sleeve of frites and a slice of Dutch apple tart and coffee to follow: the perfect Dutch day out. I’m sure Amanda enjoyed it as well. ~James
The gardens during the show should be on every traveler’s list. It was great to see them again through your eyes. One of my best paintings [for its subject portrayal, not its technical level] was of an elderly couple I saw in the gardens.
Ray, we’ve been a couple of times and we never grow tired of it. They’ve been at this for years and obviously have the formula down. There are tulip festivals all over the world, but Keukenhof, as you say, is not to be missed. ~James
I’d love to see this one year! Maggie
Maggie, it takes a bit of planning to make the timing work, but obviously, it’s worth the effort. Keukenhof is in the middle of farm country, not far from Amsterdam. But they run express buses from Amsterdam airport and the city which are perfect. If you’re in this part of the world, make the time. You won’t be disappointed. ~James
wow!
It’s an amazing place for sure. ~James
Stunning place!
Stunning yes, and to that I would add a delightful breath of spring air. ~James
That sounds really nice!
The Keukenhof tulips have long made it to my travel wish list but we haven’t made it there yet. Think we’ll have to bump it up the list now thanks to your lovely post and photos!
Annie, if I’ve convinced you to go to Keukenhof my work for the day is finished. It really is as wonderful as it looks, and they’ve been doing it for so long they have the formula down. Make it if you can. ~James
I should have mentioned, James, that my hometown of Ottawa, Canada has had a huge annual tulip festival since 1953 because Ottawa opened its hearts to Queen Juliana of the Netherlands during WW2 when she was pregnant with Princess Margriet. The princess was born in January 1943. As a gesture of thanks, the royal family and the people of the Netherlands each donate 10,000 tulips annually to Ottawa in what is called the Gift of Tulips.
As beautiful as Ottawa’s Tulip Festival is, I’m sure it’s small potatoes compared to Keukenhof’s!
Annie, I didn’t know this story and it’s certainly heartwarming. I’m sure that folks in Ottawa are just as anxious to see spring arrive as the gardeners at Keukenhof. Thanks for the story.
A true delight, sort of like how The Bard described April “When well-apparelled April on the heel
Of limping Winter treads”, but even he did know see the beauty of the tulips that you’ve shown us: WOW!
Interesting stuff, the “lasagna” method of planting. I’ve seen European capitals that sported tulips (though not to the extent you’ve shown!) and wondered how much work went into those few months of beauty. Now I know!
Impressive – I didn’t expect this post to inspire Shakespeare quotes. 🙂 Keukenhof is 80 acres of gardeners’ paradise, and it’s nothing but pure pleasure to visit. The Dutch love their flowers, and its the rare home that doesn’t have a vase of cut flowers on display somewhere. Winters can be awfully gray and rainy there so spring is always welcome. Visit if you get the chance. ~James
The beauty of the flowers enrobing the land required “flowery” (yes, pun intended 🙃) language, so, yes, I went back to the master 🌷
Keukenhof is the crowning gory of flower shows, but we have two great month-long flower displays in Canberra every year.
Peggy, in my research for this post I discovered that a number of places in Canada, and Oz have festivals. Not sure how the others compare, but Keukenhof is truly awesome. ~James
I think Keukenhof tops them all.
I was lucky enough to visit Kreukenhof on a Dutch barge holiday a couple of years ago. It is absolutely huge and even the hidden corners are well tended. We watched part of a Dutch version of Billy Elliot while we were there.
Anne, a Dutch Barge trip, Billy Elliot, and Keukenhof … boy that sounds like a fun trip. We were also impressed with how meticulous the gardens were. We were kind of late in the season, and yet, we didn’t see a single wilted flower, or any sign that the flower beds were anything but perfect. Amazing! ~James
I really must see it James and Terri. I’ve been to Holland three times now and it has been the wrong time. One of these days I’ll get it right. Have you read Michael Pollan’s book “the Botany of Desire.” His coverage on tulips, potatoes, apples and marijuana is an absolute delight
Curt, we’ve spent a lot of time in the Netherlands, and this is one of our favorite times of year, so Keukenhof timing usually works for us. However, like all these trips, everything has to be thrown into the hopper when planning for a big trip. Sometimes things just don’t work.
Thanks for the Pollan recommendation. I’ll check it out. I’ve been reading a few books on evolution, both plants and animals, so this sounds interesting. ~James
Looks like our next trip to Europe will be the Danube, so we will miss it again!
I think you will like Pollan, James. He is both informative and entertaining. –Curt
It looks absolutely magnificent; as wonderful as I would have imagined. I may or may not ever get to Keukenhof, but it certainly reminds me of Floriade, Canberra’s spring flower show, and the Abbotsford Bloom Tulip Festival about an hour from Vancouver and begun by, of course, some Dutch people.
Alison
Alison, you’re the second person that’s mentioned the Canberra festival, so it must be a big one … at a different time of year of course. Also, I understand there’s a biggie in Ottawa. Keukenhof can get a little crazy with crowds, so we got a really early start which helped. It’s a very “Dutch” experience so if the timing is right, it’s hard to beat. ~James
Yes, the Canberra festival is a really big one, just not as famous.
Aw, I’ve always wanted to visit Keukenhof for the tulips, I hope I make it one day 🙂 Your photos are beautiful.
Hanah, it’s an easy connection from the UK assuming the timing is right. There’s an express bus from AMS that takes you right to the gate. Definitely worth the trip. ~James
Wow! The Lasagna method, I’ve never heard of that. Such back breaking work, but how stunning are the yields and harvest. Absolutely glorious blooms and colours, a treat for the eyes and all the senses I imagine. Thanks for sharing James. 🌷🌷
Miriam, the Netherlands can have long, cold, gray winters so when the first signs of spring arrive the Dutch take full advantage of it. And even though Keukenhof has lots of tourists, the locals are out in force, and it makes a simply lovely day out. ~James
What a sight to behold! I can’t even begin to imagine the labor involved, but clearly it is a labor of love!
Laura, we’ve been doing some minor planting in the apartment flower beds, and all that digging and bending over reminds me what a colossal effort Keukenof is. Their gardeners are obviously younger than me. Three levels of planting! Amazing. ~James