Keukenhof Gardens, Our Visit To Holland’s World Of Tulips

An image of the tulip and flower beds along a walkway at Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

On a sunny morning, Bob and I drove south out of Amsterdam towards the village of Lisse where we planned to visit the world famous Keukenhof Gardens.

An image of yellow tulips growing in a farm field near Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Shortly after getting settled into our hotel, we rented bicycles for a self-guided tour of the massive fields of tulips throughout the area.  Endless bike trails weave around the tulip fields and through the villages.

An image of a bicycle traffic light on a cycle track near Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

The extensive system of bike trails features overpasses and underpasses for the cyclists and a separate series of traffic lights.

An image of Jean on a rental bicycle beside a tulip field near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Being regular cyclists at home in Canada, it was a real treat to be in a world where bicycles have their own trail system (highway) with intersections and traffic lights, even out in the countryside.  A special force of policemen even patrols the trails to keep tabs on cyclists.

An image of cows in field beside a field of yellow and purple tulips near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

The weather was glorious, an unusually warm day, 25 Celsius, that made our tour of the tulip fields and farm country all that much more enjoyable.

An image of Jean holding two tulips as she stands beside a field of orange tulips near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

I always knew that The Netherlands (Holland) was well known for its tulips, but it wasn’t until I saw the endless fields of blossoms in every color of the rainbow that I realized just how extensive that industry is in Holland.

An image of Fosteriana Tulips growing in a tulip field near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

As I learned on this trip, there are many different varieties of tulips.  The Royal Horticultural Association of Holland has grouped them into 16 official divisions that include everything from single early tulips to fringed tulips, Rembrandt Tulips, Parrot Tulips, and Fosteriana Tulips like those in this photograph.  To see and learn more about all the various types of tulips, visit the  Royal Horticultural Association of Holland.

An image of red and white tulips growing on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

In Canada, Dutch tulips put on an impressive display every spring in my country’s capital of Ottawa.  The reason the Dutch tulips are in Ottawa is because, during the Second World War, Canada provided a safe haven in Ottawa for the Dutch Royal Family to live.  After the war, the Dutch Royal Family and the people of The Netherlands sent thousands of tulip bulbs to Canada as a thank you for that kindness.  Today, that tribute continues.  Each spring, thousands of Dutch tulips bloom in Ottawa, continuing the show of thanks.

An image of pink, yellow, and orange tulips growing in a field beside a canal near Lisse the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Bob and I traveled to Holland in mid-April when the tulips are usually at their best.   Judging by what we saw, I think our timing was ideal.  Countless fields of vibrantly coloured tulips delighted us as we rode along.

An image of Bob in a field of pink tulips near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Each field was a carpet of colour resulting from millions of flowerheads.  Here, we see Bob lost in a sea of pink in one growing field near Lisse.

An image of various flowers like tulips for sale at a market in Amsterdam the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

No surprise that there are so many tulips for sale in The Netherlands, a fact that makes the country the world’s biggest supplier of these popular springtime flowers.    Although this is not the Golden Age of the Tulip (1600’s), Holland, today, still produces over 8 billion blooms, worth billions of dollars, each year.

An image of a small boat on a canal beside a field of tulips near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Tons of people were out enjoying the weather and scenery.  People had even come with their campers that they parked between the narrow roads and the canals bordering the tulip fields.  Children were seen swimming in the canals, but they had to be mindful of other sightseers plying the canals by boat to get an even closer look at the flowers!

An image of a drawing of a tulip.

The Dutch love of tulips is often referred to as “tulip mania”, and the Golden Age of Tulips is called the “Dutch Golden Age”.  In 1637, one single tulip bulb sold for more than 10 times the yearly income of a skilled craftsman.  Today, we live in an era when stock markets collapse in a flash; just think back to 2008.  Well, back in 1619, the world market decided to dump metal coins and to buy tulip bulbs to fund a war.  In 1622, the tulip bulb market burst, and the world’s first recorded economic collapse occurred.  It was all based upon a flower, and so “tulip mania”.

An image of Jean holding two tulips as she stands beside a field of orange tulips near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

A moment of pause in a bed of tulips.  And, no, I didn’t pick that flower.  It was lying idle in one of the rows.

An image of tulip beds beside a pond at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

After our day of cycling through the growing fields near Lisse, we laid plans to cycle to Keukenhof Gardens early the next morning.   Bob and I arose at 6 a.m. in order to arrive at the front gates when they opened for business.  At that time, the gardens were devoid of people.  Only the occasional gardener was seen nipping off expired tulip heads or gathering up the dropped petals.

An image of tulip beds under trees at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Panoramic views of never-ending beds of tulips spread in all directions, and the countless varieties and endless shades of colour resulted in constant stimulation for the senses.  Seven million tulip bulbs are planted for each spring’s blooming!

An image of tulip beds beside a larger pond at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Hoping to give visitors pause for reflection, Keukenhof Gardens has created seven Inspirational Gardens, everything from Historical Gardens to Forest Gardens, and Ornamental Gardens around ponds like this one.

An image of red and yellow tulips growing in a flower bed at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

A wave of red and yellow leading off into the distance.

An image of tulips growing in a forest at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

An image of pink and yellow tulips growing in a flower gardens at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

An image of Jean among tulips at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

An image of Fritillaria growing at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

In addition to tulips, the gardens at Keukenhof also feature contrasting beds of fritalleria, hyacinths, narcissus, azaleas and rhododendrons, overhung in many cases by flowering fruit trees.

An image of a reflection pool surrounded by Azaleas at Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Reflecting pools, waterfalls and fountains add interest, and streams flow musically throughout the gardens, sometimes leading to an unexpected pond where swans floated effortlessly amidst the colourful reflections.

An image of a Peacock with its tail open on a pathway at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

A peacock surprised us on the pathway…

An image of a Peacock standing beside pink flowers at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

An image of Rhododendrons growing in a garden at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Although the rhododendrons were spectacularly beautiful, their size paled in comparison to those we saw in Ireland on a different trip.

An image of Jean standing beside a Rhododendron bush at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Now if only my own rhododendron had flower heads this large.  I can only dream about that!

An image of Bob standing beside flower beds at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Bob poses among a showy display of flowering plants.

An image of various tulip beds at Keukenhof Gardens near Lisse, in the Netherlands. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Bob and I casually wandered along the pathways as more tourists began to arrive.  The available sunlight and resulting shadows really added to our photo compositions.  We nicely completed one circuit of Keukenhof Gardens before the sky darkened down, and the next thing you know, it began to rain.

Keukenhof Gardens is now closed for the 2022 visiting period.  But it will re-open from March 23 to May 14 in 2023. For more information checkout this link: Keukenhof Holland.

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13 comments

  • You picked the perfect time to visit the Netherlands. Your photos are stunning!

  • Hia,,,thanks for this lovely post,,,i am planning a trip to Amsterdam in Late April for 2 days only.I would love to see the long fields of tulips but i am told that the long fields are outside the Keukenhof garden and mostly privately owned 🙁
    Do you think i will be able to visit the long fields with out getting the ticket for the garden
    Regards

    • Thanks for contacting us. We toured the tulip fields on bicycles that we rented, and yes, it is possible to do so without purchasing a ticket for the Gardens. The fields are located throughout the countryside and are visible from the canals and the roadways. Enjoy your trip to Amsterdam. I’m sure you’ll love it.

  • Wonderful!
    What time of the year was it? Do you happen to know how long the tulips last?

    • Hi. Thanks for your interest in our blog posting. We visited Holland at the end of April, and spent the day at the Keukenhof Gardens on May 2. I don’t really know how long the tulips last, but I’m sure the website for Keukenhof Gardens could give you a good idea.

      • Thanks a lot for the reply! The Wikipedia entry suggests the best time for seeing the tulips in the garden as mid-April, but your beautifully documented visit shows that early May is also great. I plan on arriving there on the 5th or 6th of May this year.

  • These are among the best photos of the tulips that I’ve seen… if you would like to see a few more, then feel free to visit my blog at
    http://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/springtime-in-netherlands.html
    as Bob did when he posted the link to this blog. Thank you…

    • You have some stunning photographs of the tulips as well. We were actually pleased for the grey skies on the morning we visited because the colours came out so much richer in our pictures.

  • Great pictures! You got up close and personal biking through the fields! We were there with hordes of tourists, but we took the entire day to wander around and smell the tulips. Saw a lot swans on the lake but no peacock. There was an orchid exhibiton, and that was stunning as well.

  • Great photos of the Keukenhof – and where are all the crowds? Clever framing to keep them all out of shot! 😉

    • I’m glad you enjoyed our photos, Richard, and thanks for commenting. Bob and I work very hard at securing pictures that are unobstructed by other sightseers. It is a feat, sometimes, and patience plays a huge part.

  • I love walking the gardens at Keukenhof. Great pictures and blog!

    I’ve also seen the lovely tulips in Ottawa and plan to go back and skate along the canals in winter.

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