Keukenhof: Flowers in early spring

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(Edited)

On the 23 of March 2023, the Garden of Europe - Keukenhof was opened for the season. I have not visited for more than a decade and there is no better way to start spring than with a dose of beautiful flowers.

the entrance

Keukenhof is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. It is famous for its tulips but other flowers can be found there as well. This flower garden is located about half an hour from Amsterdam in a town called Lisse. Since 1949, this location is being used to exhibit beautiful flowers. It is worth the trip to see these blooms which are synonymous with the dutch.

Upon entering the garden, one is greeted by 2 young ladies dressed in dutch 15th century costumes.

The purple, yellow, red and violet crocuses behind them was also a warm welcome and heralded what next would come.

It is still early spring, so not all bulbs are in bloom. Despite having a great imagination, I have a good reason to return.

Visiting on the first day, meant this famous landmark was less crowded - but the trade off is that fewer trees and blooms are showing off their green leaves or colorful petals. However, there is always something to see

beautifully lined walking paths

and the gardens was not disappointing.

As the garden is in a park, there are beech and oak trees lining canals which is a beautiful backdrop for the flowers.

sky high scarlet tulips and beech trees

I saw people walking in the water.

I decided to discover this for myself. It felt a bit strange at first but I did not fall in 😄 and managed to take this special photo.

Walking along, I discovered hyacynths in full bloom.

I was mesmerized,

but there was more to discover. There were cherry blossom trees showing off their delicate pink flowers.

However, just across this bridge

a magnolia tree was drawing a lot of attention.

This one across from the white crocuses stood out as well.

Throughout the gardens there are many benches and resting places if your legs become weary traversing this expansive garden. There are foodstalls for quick snacks and 6 pavilions with restaurants (vegan and non-vegan). These pavilions also have flower shows - so flowers are not only outside but also inside. I wandered into the pavilion named after the dutch king Willem-Alexander. In addition to tulips - the main exhibit here was amaryllis of every colour and variety.

Close to the pavilion was a typical dutch symbol - a windmill. It was gifted by the Holland America Shipping line to Keukenhof and has been at this location since 1957. This old windmill was build in 1892.

It is fitting that the gift shop next to the windmill was filled with "klompen" - dutch for clogs (wooden shoes). One can imagine planting flowers bulbs in their garden whilst wearing these sturdy clogs.

The adjacent area was so dramatic with the contrasting purple and yellow tulips - everywhere was so beautiful.

I felt as though this was my favorite area especially this wild section.

There is something here for everyone. If you have children - they can visit the maze, playground

Nijntje (Miffy) playground

or petting zoo.

It is possible to go on a boat ride, take a tour guide or rent bicycles to tour the fields(when in full bloom). I did not take a guide but I met 2 of the gardeners who work tirelessly to ensure the gardens are immaculately kept.

They were happy to tell a bit about their wonderful workplace. There are are 40 workers in total and they handplant 7 million bulbs every year, for our viewing pleasure. The entire grounds, which is the gardens and fields, cover approximately 32 hectares(79 acres). All must be planted in the fall in order for us to enjoy the gardens during spring. All weeding is also done by hand.

I only had time to visit about one third of the gardens. This is not a place to rush through; instead one must delight in and savor this floral experience. The gardens are only opened until the 14 May. I will return mid-April when the gardens and fields are in full bloom. That will be something to look forward to.

Although a perfectly kept and manicured garden - it is a lovely escape to beautiful nature. Visitors were unusually quiet so there was a sense of peace and joy in this beautiful setting. There is enough to see and do here and it is definitely worth a trip to this amazingly beautiful garden.

All photos are my own. Please do not use without permission.

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Spring here is so beautiful, and the people here are so pretty, I really like your white skin.😍

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(Edited)

Finally Mama have bless me with a beautiful 😍 post again, one thing i enjoy about your post is that you always take your time to do more research 💯 and there is no one that will read your post that won't get captivated.

Do you know i have always wanted to visit a flower garden the last time I went there i was told it is under construction so I'm unable to enter but then boom you have bring it to me to.

All these flowers are so beautiful and seeing you only went for one third and still get something like this means there are more beautiful things yet to see . That would definitely be a nice place to visit.

Thanks for this beautiful post i really appreciate it 😊 and enjoy reading it 💗

Till next time please take care.

!LUV

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Aww many thanks for the compliment. It is nice that my post came at just the right time. THe flowers certainly made me happy and it is great that I can share that joy with everyone.
Keukenhof is a a real beauty and indeed a great place to visit. I am looking forward to visiting when all the blooms are out and share part 2 with everyone.
Many thanks for the LUV!!

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I will be patient waiting for part two 🤗 good luck ma'am.

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This is beautiful, what a joy to be able to appreciate such beautiful gardens.

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Yes it was a joy indeed. I had a great time and I am looking forward to part 2. Thanks for dropping by and I hope you could enjoy through my eyes.

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I went to Keukenhof last year, think it was a few weeks before it was due to close and I think they had started to cut away some flowers that had started to die, but it was still very beautiful. Great to see it blooming again!

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Aww it is a pity that you could not get the full experience. A visit during May can be tricky. I am happy that you can enjoy them via my eyes. I am eager to see the fields with rows and rows of tulips. I am looking forward to visiting again. I need to time it well.

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What a beautiful place! I can only imagine how it would look like when most of those flowers in the vast fields bloom fully.😍 Glad that spring has finally arrived there :) Happy to have toured around the garden through your gorgeous shots ❤️

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Many thanks for the compliment @ifarmgirl - happy you enjoyed the tour. Yes - spring has arrived and hopefully soon we will warm up a bit more. I will definitely return around the middle of April as I want to finally see the blooming fields for myself. I will certainly share it here - along with the rest of the gardens.

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You're very welcome and glad to have seen it first through your lens :) And would be looking forward to see more of them when you go back.🤩 It excites me to see how the place will look like with most or all of the plants blooming.

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This is impressive, these workers are admirable, the bulbs are placed in such a way as to maintain harmony in the place. I fell in love with the place. 😍

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Aww such a lovely comment - thank you. Yes - I fell in love as well and I am eager to return when all is blooming in mid April. You are right it was very harmonius there - the trees flowers and people. I was very happy there as the energy felt amazing. I am happy you enjoyed the post through my eyes..

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Some great shots there @momogrow , I am visiting at the end of April, fingers crossed everything is still in bloom

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Many thanks for the compliment @grindle . Wow - that is great - fingers crossed indeed. I will return around mid-April but I think all should be well when you arrive as well. The weather should be perfect at the time too. Hmm well don't hold me to that. 😆

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It looks a great place to visit! I imagine late spring or early summer would be a good time to go with more blooms.

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Indeed it was a fabulous place to visit. Unfortunately all will be gone by the end of spring and the gardens are closed on 14 May. I will aim for around mid-April as I finally would like to see the fields filled with colorful tulip and the rest of the gardens too.

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Wow! That´s literally a paradise for all flower lovers :) That´s the same place that your entry in my photography challenge came from right? Amazing shots!

@tipu curate

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Thanks for the compliment. It was so much fun snapping away after enjoying all the surrounding beauty. It is indeed flower heaven for flower lovers. Yes - this is the place from which my entry photo came from. When I return I will try to capture the same shot but with everything blooming. Thanks for dropping.

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Hey Momo
The place is really really beautiful! Reminds me of old times where I used to see wallpapers of these types and used to wonder, are they real or not lol!

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Hey @rehan12 - yes it is a special place indeed. I think I will be in flower heaven when I return and the fields with rows and rows of tulips are all blooming. Please come back to see that as I will bring your wallpapers to life. 😆😆

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There are are 40 workers in total and they handplant 7 million bulbs every year,

I know how they feel! I planted 100 garlic bulbs yesterday!

Gorgeous photos. I remember visiting Keukenhof many years ago when I lived in Amsterdam.

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Oh wow - congratulations @dierdyweirdy - that is a lot of planting. I planted 25 garlic bulbs last year but will not do it this year. The reward was pleasing but I was not elated.
Aww you lived here as well. Nice You also visited. This is my second time. Third time will be hopefully be next month and I hope to be lucky to see the fields of tulips.

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They have a lot of beautiful flowers over there. They are very lovely.
Thanks for sharing so that we can feed our eyes.

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You are most welcome. Yes The Netherlands is a big exporter of flowers. I felt so happy being there and thereafter. I am looking forward to my next visit when the fields are blooming.

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Wow, what a beautiful place Keukenhof is and a great place to visit indeed. I love every bit of this tour momo. You sure knows how to calm down and carry your readers on a virtual tour through your post. Right now, I feel like I was on that tour with you while reading this 😄

You are an amazing writer momo
I can only imagine how these beautiful flowers 🌺🌹 would have blossom in your next visit
Thanks for this nice adventure ❤️

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Many thanks for the complement @nkemakonam89 - I am happy you enjoyed the tour through my eyes. For the next visit you can travel with me again. I am really looking forward to visit.

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Hahaha 😂
Sure I will travel with you as usual
Looking forward to it ✅😍

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What a spectacular view those flowers! I wouldn't know where to look and focus on, the colors are just so vibrant. The platforms on the water look interesting to walk on.

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Yes you are right. It felt somewhat like that - I was surrounded by beauty and although I had a favorite area - it was all just amazing.
Yes that platform made me a bit dizzy at first but then I got used to "walking on water" and it was fine.

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Wow that is some beautiful scenery over there, you could almost feel so much alive there. I can’t stop imagining being there myself, this is a beautiful place that everyone would love to see and I for sure would like to see one day. Thank you so much for sharing with us, absolutely beautiful stuff.

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I am so happy that I could share this post which brings so much pleasure to you. I hope you will get to visit one day. You will indeed feel alive there - lots of beautiful energy from all the plants.

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Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience at Keukenhof with us! Your vivid description and beautiful photos make me feel like I was there with you, admiring the gorgeous flowers and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

It's great that you were able to visit on the first day of the season and avoid the crowds, but I can understand why you would want to return in mid-April when the gardens and fields are in full bloom. It sounds like there is always something new to discover at Keukenhof, from the different types of flowers to the pavilions and food stalls.

I hope that your return visit will be just as enjoyable and that you'll continue to share your adventures with us. Keep exploring and enjoying the beauty of nature!

Happy to be !ALIVE

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Aww I am happy that I could take you there via this post. Yes you are right there is always something there to discover and I will share it with you when I return to see all in full bloom. Thanks for the kind wishes regarding my next visit. I am looking forward to it and cannot wait to share it with you as well.

Thank you for the tip.

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Visiting a botanical garden in spring feels like a deep breath of fresh air. However, as much as I love flowers, I'm more tempted to visit a botanical garden after the trees start blooming as well, or at least have some leaves on their branches. Nature is amazing in all its forms and seasons tho :)

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You are right @gabrielatravels - I was tempted to wait but jumped at the opportunity to see the garden when it opened. However as you said it will be amazing when the trees are green and all the blooms are out. I cannot wait to return - I will share it here to show the contrast but like you said nature is amazing all the time and in every season.

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Everything in this place speaks of beauty and peace. My kids will really love the zoo, playground and the flowers. They have a thing for flowers and luckily for them we have a flower garden in the estate. They picks them whenever we are going out.

This place is surely a good place to visit.

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Aww thanks for your nice comment. I am so happy that you enjoy the post. It is great that your children have an appreciation for nature. It was indeed a peaceful and lovely place. It was indeed a great time there.

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Wow! such a large and beautiful garden. A good spot for a proposal haha. It must take some hard work for only 40 people to take care of such a large garden and doing a fantasticly well.
Also, It's like spring hits different in Holland, probably why it known for beautiful flowers and vegetables (just my thoughts).
I'm curious tho, where you had to walk over water, are those woods floating or you had to jump from one to another?

Thanks for sharing, now I know one more cool place in Holland :)

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What a beautiful place with flowers, I have never visit it... I should do. Wauw
Perfect made and great colors

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😍🌷These are just Beautiful. I really love the cherry blossom tree, i would make a love wish under that tree Like see in Kdramas😉😄

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Thank you - cherry blossom trees are so dreamy. We have a good portion of them here but that will be a blog for spring 2024.

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