Keukenhof

During the Middle Ages the inhabitants of Teylingen castle hunted game on these grounds. From 1401 to 1436 this estate belonged to the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beieren, and this was where vegetables and herbs were grown, hence the name keuken (kitchen). The park itself was designed in 1840 by the German horticultural architects J. D. Zocher (father and son) in an English style, with woodland glades, meandering streams and avenues of beeches. The landscape park was acquired by the Royal Dutch Association of Bulb Growers at the initiative of the mayor of Lisse in 1949 as an attractive setting in which to stage an open-air flower exhibition, to show the wide range of flower bulbs available for sale. More than 236,000 people visited  Keukenhof the year it opened.  Now the number of annual visitors is around 900,000.  All of these visitors ensure that Keukenhof is one of the top three most photographed sights in the world.

This lovely wooded green in the heart of the commercial bulb-producing region of The Netherlands is now the world's largest flower garden, with over 70 acres on which 7 million or more bulbs are planted each fall by the major Dutch growers. The area is divided into many different plots, which the bulb growers are assigned each year by lottery. There are blocks and strips of flowering bulbs in every possible place to dazzle visitors. The blaze of color is everywhere in the park –  beside canals, streams and shady ponds, along the paths, in neat little plots and huge drifts among the lawns. You could easily spend more than one day here, especially if you are wild about flowers. Although the gardens are large, the walking is flat and easy, and the paved walks make the gardens handicap-accessible.

Keukenhof uses layered planting to ensure a continuous display of color. Bulbs are planted on top of each other, in different layers.  The late-blooming tulips are placed deepest in the ground; above them early-blooming tulips; and above them crocus. This way flowers will bloom at the same spot in the park, from early in the season until late in the season. The bulbs of over 100 registered suppliers are planted from the end of September until the first frost. At the end of May, all the bulbs are pulled up, the gardens are redesigned, new bulbs are planted, and the lawns are re-sown.

Tulips are the stars at Keukenhof, with a mind-boggled assortment of over 2,000 varieties in spectacular colors. But many other bulbs are included throughout the duration of the show. Early in the season there are daffodils (~500 varieties) and crocus, followed by muscari, fritillaries and crown imperials, hyacinths (~100 varieites), lilies, and alstroemerias. Almost all of the flowers are marked with the variety name and grower. There are roses and a wide variety of perennials and container and terrace plants in addition to the trees and shrubs of the extensive landscape plantings. 

The beautiful Beukenlaan (beech lane) is an avenue of majestic beech trees dating back to the 1840's, and are the oldest trees in Keukenhof. Great care is paid to their condition; every 5 years a small airplane flies over the park to take infra-red pictures of the trees to make sure they are still healthy. White swans (leased ones!) paddle around the man-made Hofvijver (court pond). Other attractions include Europe's largest fountain and a 700-tree labyrinth.

The theme gardens focus on color, fragrance, Renaissance, abstract style, water and borders, each in a specific garden, on a small and simple scale that can be applied at home. In the Nature garden, bulb and tuberous plants are combined with perennials in a natural setting. The Music Garden, between the old mill and the Koningin (Queen) Beatrix Pavilion, is somewhat removed from the busy trails and music is played along the wood-chip trail to the pond amid special bulb plants. The new Historical Garden allows visitors to step back into history to the time of the Middle Ages. In this 'secret' walled garden all types of special old bulb plants and kitchen herbs are cultivated by gardeners in historical clothes using traditional tools.

The show continues indoors in several pavilions under 50,000 ft² of glass. Over 500 different varieties of flowers are displayed in 10 indoor flower shows. Tulips or other flowers are arranged in huge rectangles, each one nearly filling the basketball court sized glasshouses.

One greenhouse is full of delicate orchids, while other pavilions are ablaze with azaleas, begonias, anthurium, and other flowers in interesting exhibitions at certain times:

You can see the surrounding bulb-growing area if you climb the steps of the Groningen-type cornmill (a windmill used to power the grinding apparatus) on one edge of the property. Constructed in 1957, it has a viewing platform that overlooks field upon field of commercially-grown bulbs separated by irrigation canals.

The park is open for about 8 weeks each year. In 2003 it will be open 21 March through 18 May, and in 2004, from 25 March until 20 May. The best time to see the tulips, hyacinths and daffodils all in bloom at once is in mid- to late April, but this varies somewhat with the weather. Try to visit during the week, as the park gets quite crowded on weekends. Keukenhof is easily accessible by road from Amsterdam, Haarlam and Leiden. Tickets or excursions (train/bus) are offered from the tourist offices in the cities. River cruise lines also frequently feature spring tulip cruises that stop here. The entrance fee is €11.50 for adults (2003).

The Zomerhof, the new summer-season exhibition of the Keukenhof, showcases summer-blooming bulbs like begonias, gladioli irises, lilies,cannas and dahlias for a few weeks in August. Keukenhof also hosts a Winter Bulb Market in October.

– Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin

Additional Information:

• Keukenhof - the official site

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