Keukenhof Garden- The Best Place to Enjoy Spring in Europe
After a long and tedious winter spell, spring in Europe brings in the much coveted sunshine that suddenly transforms the whole atmosphere. Gloomy and grey winter gives way to a joyful and much awaited spring. Spring truly unveils the hidden colors of nature, be it in the form of lush green trees, vibrant flowers, and enchanting birds or in the soothing smiles of people. And if you want to enjoy the spring in Europe to the fullest, there could be no other place than the Keukenhof garden, also known as the “Garden of Europe” in the Netherlands.
Situated in the dune and bulb region of Lisse, southern part of the Netherlands, Keukenhof garden, one of the world’s largest flower garden, lures thousands of visitors every year between end of March and May to witness its treasure spread over almost 32 hectares of land. More than 7 million bulbs are planted each year which comes in full bloom only during these two months.
The garden was originally designed by the landscape architect Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher comprising various garden styles within it with the soul intention to exhibit before the world, the different types of bulbs that the Netherlands can produce and to boost their flower export industry since it is the world’s largest flower exporter. Keukenhof garden features more than 800 variants of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, orchids, carnations, irises, lilies, roses and lots more!
We visited the Keukenhof garden in April 2012 taking a direct bus from the Leiden. It is also accessible by road from other parts of the country. We were greeted by a riot of colors, a sight which no words can do justice. The elegant and unique colors of these bulbs left us completely mesmerized. As far as our eyes could take us, there were lanes and rows of radiantly colored flowers. The sparkling streams with dazzling white ducks created a surreal atmosphere.
Each species of bulbs have been well mentioned with full specifications which is quite helpful for the biologists and the flowers specialists. If you are thinking it is the end of the visit, then you have to go out of the garden to the adjoining fields which are mostly privately owned lands where bulbs are cultivated on a commercial scale. These fields resemble flower carpets crafted with artistic design and electrifying colors.
After strolling through the garden and its surrounding fields for more than six hours, we were tired physically but mentally we were still fully charged. It was an unforgettable, lifetime experience which we are going to cherish for rest of our lives. Truly, if you are in the Netherlands and if you still have not seen Keukenhof garden, you have not seen the Netherlands yet!!
Tips for photographers:
Carrying a tripod may be thought of since the garden has many picturesque locations and if you don’t want to have those images blurred by taking the hand held shots.
Weather in the Netherlands changes very fast and low light can be sometimes challenging.
There is a lot of scopes of taking macro photos, so do not forget to carry your macro lenses.
