A Georgia Girl in Germany: Flowers in Bloom

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Flowers in Bloom

Our big trip during Spring Break 2008 was to Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands to see more than 7 mikkion amazing, beautiful tulips and other bulbs in bloom with Nana and Papa. We were a little nervous when we ran into this snowstorm in northern Germany, and worried that we might not have good weather to see the flowers. Fortunately, the snow didn’t last long, and by the time we reached Holland, it had cleared up.

While our vacation was a little on the chilly side, we had decent weather the day we visited Keukenhof . Don’t the flowers and bicycle match MacKenzie’s coat and water bottle? We couldn’t have planned that any better.

We were all simply amazed at the sheer number and variety of flowers in the gardens. These narcissi are called “Up to Date.”

I like how the red “Grand Maitre” crocuses and purple “Love Song” Kaufmanniana tulips complemented each other.

MacKenzie liked them too!

Zachary liked this display of flowers, even though a third of them weren’t in bloom. There were quite a few areas of the garden that weren’t in bloom.

Benjamin cooperated and let me take a few photos of him. Of course, he had to do it his way: balancing on a rock in front of the “Barrett Browning” narcissi!

Another mix of crocuses and Kaufmanniana tulips ... this time “Remembrances” and “Goudstuk” varieties.

My little guy took a break to smell the flowers.

Then he found another rock to stand on!

These are the “Las Vegas” narcissi. I wonder how they come up with the different names for all the varieties of flowers.

MacKenzie liked the Las Vegas variety.

More tulips -- the “Cape Cod” variety. Tulips actually originated from the plateaus of Central Asia. Thousands of years ago, short-stemmed tulips bloomed in the splits and gorges, warmed by the sun in the high mountains. It wasn’t until the 16th century that the tulips first came to Holland -- via Turkey.

Beautiful pink and white “Flower Record” crocuses with a few purple “Ancilla” Kaufmanniana tulips hiding among the green leaves.

There were a few potted flowers that were as large as they were beautiful.

They were also almost as big as MacKenzie’s face!

Deep pink hyacinths.

As you’ve probably figured out, I really like the narcissi. This is the “Madoc” variety.

Here’s another patch of mixed flowers: “Johann Strauss” Kaufmanniana tulips and “Gemengd” crocuses.

The kids found a quaint gazebo to sit and rest a spell. Yes, they all got tired of looking at flowers after a while ... but we kept looking!

More potted flowers -- not sure what kind these are.

Two-toned “Albion Star” greigii tulips.

What a nice arrangement!

I love the deep color of these “Blue Jacket” hyacinths.

“Lefeber” Fosteriana tulips. During the 16th century, the rich merchants from Amsterdam were the first people who could afford a few tulip bulbs. At that time, the tulip was considered an extremely rare flower that deserved a prominent place in the garden.

Talk about large wooden shoes! At least the boys found something with which to entertain themselves.

This two-toned “Big Smile” Enkele Late tulip sure brought a big smile to my face.

This field certainly had a lot of flair -- “Flair” tulips, that is.

There were even a few swans swimming in one of the lakes. They weren’t shy about coming close to people either.

Nana was a good sport about posing with her namesake hyacinths -- the “Splendid Cornelia” variety (I’m sure she’s not thrilled that I gave away her real name!).

And more “Blue Jacket hyacinths.

I like the orange centers of these “Pinza” narcissi.

Lavender “Fondant” hyacinths.

Benjamin bundled up in front of the “Ice Follies” narcissi.

More “Johann Strauss” Kaufmanniana tulips.

Small “Delfts Blauw” hyacinths.

“Strese” Kaufmanniana tulips.

This certainly was a “Dreamland” patch of Enkele Late tulips.

I like the juxtaposition of these colors, including the “Giuseppe Verdi” Kaufmanniana tulips.

Benjamin started getting tired of all the walking, so Papa obliged and carried him a bit. He eventually fell asleep in Papa’s arms.

There were so many different kinds of flowers in a variety of landscaping designs, everywhere we turned!

These yellow “Exception” narcissi were very vibrant -- especially on such an overcast day.

Here’s another example of a nice contrast of colors: vibrant purple “Peter Stuyvesant” hyacinths and red/yellow “Authority” greigii tulips. After Keukenhof opened in 1949, tulips began appearing everywhere in Dutch gardens, mostly combined with hyacinths and narcissi. The motto was “the more color, the better.”

Benjamin stole my gloves when his hands got too cold. I guess his pockets weren’t enough.

These “Blue Magic” muscari remind me a little of Texas Bluebonnets. I wonder if they’re cousins.

Flowers weren’t the only exhibits in the gardens. This tree and its blossoms was simply stunning.

This tropical-looking fritillaria imperialis was in a more naturally landscaped area of the gardens.

There’s even a windmill on the grounds. We were in Holland, why should we expect any different?

The Bollenstreek tulip bulb fields adjacent to the gardens were surrounded by canals and used for growing large quantities of tulips -- no doubt to cultivate and send to gardeners around the world. Many of the fields had already been harvested when we visited.

We found a few more potted flowers surrounding the windmill.

Benjamin had to smell every variety to see if they smelled different from each other.

When we went up to the balcony of the windmill, we had a slightly better view of the tulip fields. I can only imagine how gorgeous the fields must be when they’re alive with color!

“There was an old lady who lived in a shoe...” OK, so I’m not “old,” even though we could all fit inside this shoe!

Nana liked this bicycle with a flower bed in front of the handlebars.

The kids liked seeing ducks in the canals beside the tulip fields.

Fortunately, after all the boring walking we made the kids endure, we found a park where they could burn off some energy.

Zachary and MacKenzie found a hedge maze, and they ran and hid in there for a good while.

The colors in these “Plaisir” greigii tulips were absolutely stunning!

They looked like stars when they were open completely.

By the afternoon, the sky had cleared some (it was still cold) and livened up the gardens.

The larger gardens were very nice, and incorporated much more than “just” flowers.

Benjamin helped Papa decipher the map to figure out where we were, where we’d been and where we still wanted to go. Yes, Keukenhof Gardens are THAT large!

The lines and colors were great!

The “Pirand” fosteriana tulips were dramatic-looking.

I really liked the yellow and orange in the “Up To Date” narcissi -- very stunning.

The kids found an unusual bench to lounge on while waiting on us adults.

A beautiful collection of Tȇte-a-Tȇte narcissi.

Benjamin wanted to climb the rocks surrounding these waterfalls, and was disappointed when I told him to rejoin us on the pathway.

“Zombie” fosteriana tulips. There are literally hundreds of varieties of tulips, which have become quite popular in the Netherlands. There are even a few of the older varieties still cultivated by some horticulturists.

These “Rosy Delight” Darwin hybrid tulips seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.

Papa and Benjamin teamed up to play chess against Zachary and MacKenzie.

They really had to concentrate on the game. They gave Papa a run for his money, but he and Benjamin won in the end.

Zachary and MacKenzie were gracious enough to pose in front of a bed of “Yellow River” narcissi and “Sibylla” triumph tulips.

The colors in the “Lucky Lady” greigii tulips were amazing.

And speaking of a lucky lady, we saw this couple taking wedding photos in the gardens. The bride was actually very cold between shots and kept putting a coat on to try to warm up.