SPRINGTIME IN THE NETHERLANDS

WOULDN'T YOU JUST LOVE TO SPEND THE DAY WALKING THIS GARDEN?

Keukenhof – know as the Garden of Europe – is the one of the
best places to view the abundance of spring flowers in the South Holland
region of the Netherlands
Amsterdam's flower market – the Bloemenmarkt – reflects the
country's passion for cut flowers and plants
Around seven million bulbs are planted each year in the park at
Keukenhof, in an area of 32 hectares
The Bloemenmarkt - set on the capital's Singel canal and said to
be the world's only floating flower market - has a score of stalls where
you can buy all sorts of plants, flowers, bulbs and seeds
The mild climate of Holland , with its wet springs makes it an
ideal place for bulb cultivation
Tulips originated in the east and were brought to Holland from the
Ottoman Empire in the mid 1500s
In springtime, the lowland area by the North Sea is carpeted with
fields of gladioli, hyacinths, lilies, daffodils, crocuses.... And, of
course, tulips
Keukenhof - literally 'kitchen garden' - is part of the hunting
grounds of the ancient Teylingen estate
This year, the theme for the Keukenhof exhibition is Germany: Land
of Poets and Philosophers
The patchwork quilt of colours in the Keukenhof park, just outside
Lisse in South Holland , is a veritable feast for the eyes
The bulbs of Keukenhof are re-planted each year according to the
current trends and in collaboration with a number of gardening magazines
Spring in Keukenhof is one of the main tourist attractions of the
Netherlands
The best way to appreciate the full glory of the Dutch spring is
to hire a bike and cycle one of the tourist routes among the bulb fields