Garden Travel – Keukenhof Gardens August 14th, 2016

Earlier this year my husband I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Europe. Of course most of the items on my must see list included several gardens.

First stop is Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse Netherlands.

There is not spring visit to the Netherlands without a visit to this amazing show of color. Lisse is about 30 minutes south of Amsterdam.

Keukenhof is the showcase of the Dutch floricultural industry.  Special emphasis is the flowering bulbs the Netherlands are internationally known for. Over 100 flower companies participate in displaying their wares.

Keukenhof gardens are an awe inspiring display of tulips and other bulbs. It is only open for 8 weeks in spring- usually mid March to mid May. The displays are amazing and jaw dropping array of color. Each year is different.  In addition to the bulb gardens they also have a new flower show each week. Large swaths of color and planting combination

We were lucky the weather was sunny and beautiful. I’ve been here in the past when it was overcast and misting (a more typical weather for Holland in the spring). The great weather brought out more visitors, the crowds were bit overwhelming, but its laid out well so that you can still enjoy the garden.

The gardens include 75+ acres of 7 million bulbs- All are planted in fall- Sadly though all are dug up after the show closes and destroyed.  This is a sustainability nightmare for me. The 8 weeks is about as much as a typical bulb garden looks greats so I understand why the show is not available longer.