how many?

How many tulips does it take to make a tulipophile extremely elated?

Well, I think I know the answer.

This many.

Plus these.

And these.

And a few more.

 

These, too.

 

And especially these.

I booked my quick trip to Holland in January, and have been on tenterhooks all spring. I was taking a gamble on nature and terrified that I might have mistimed my visit. But the end of last week was the only time I could go in between school holidays, Simon's various trips abroad for work, having a Spanish exchange student to stay, and the small matter of teeth extractions for Phoebe.

This time last year, the tulips were more or less finished. But this year I was lucky; the cool and wet season which I've moaned about in other contexts has been a tulip-blessing, and it turned out that I couldn't have timed my jaunt better. There were millions of tulips in full bloom both in the fields around Leiden and at the Keukenhof Gardens - resplendent, brilliant, vibrant, tall, healthy and utterly wonderful.

It's quite something when you first come across this flat landscape streaked with long, thin lines of pure colour - yellows, oranges, pinks, purples, reds, whites. The way the growers transform the view with glorious stripes and blocks of densely planted bulbs for just a brief moment of the year is breathtaking. And when you get into a field and see the flowers both up close and in the long, long perspective of the neat rows, it's hard not to feel light-headed with elation.

I went twice; first to see the fields and get over my excitement (which, I admit, I could hardly contain), and again the next day to see tulips planted for show at the Keukenhof - all four and a half million of them. I like that number; it's a good answer to 'how many?'

Photos to come.

Comments

[Kat]

This is how I imagine your back garden to look. K x

[irene]

positively breathtaking!

[Sharon]

Stunning! That would be wonderful inspiration for a quilt!

[Frogdancer]

Oh my. That's insane. But in an utterly gorgeous way. One day I'll get to Europe....

[Michaela]

Oh man! As I scrolled down your blog further and further, my jaw kept dropping lower and lower ... WOW!!! Literally - literally - takes one's breath away, and that's by picture ... I cannot imagine standing there, in person!, to see all that color and beauty. What a wonderful gift!

[Jan]

My dream trip! I've always wanted to bike through Holland at tulip time. (Nevermind that I haven't been on a bicycle in years!)
I'm looking forward to the next post, but in the meantime, will probably return several times to drink in these magnificent photos. *swooning*

[Elizabeth]

These photos take my breath away.

[Jennifer]

Whew! Beautiful.

Oh! Thought of you yesterday morning. "Brief Encounter" was on TCM. I enjoyed every minute (again).

[Elizabeth]

p.s. You have reminded me of Tulip Time here in Holland, Michigan.

http://www.tuliptime.com/

I'm going to run out to the Veldheer farm today, as it's the closest I will get to your photos! Thank you for the inspiration!

[Novembrance]

Four and a half million! The sight must have been even more stunning in person.

[Hazel]

Oh they are stunning!

When my Dad was a young man he worked on a hotel barge and the first trips of the season were around the bulb fields

If you get chance it is also worth going to the Floriade (the next one isn't for a couple of years or so), Mum and I went to the last one in Spring and it was glorious!

[brigitte read]

I second the notion of the floriade it was one of the highlights of my life. If you adore flowers it is a life must!

[lucy]

I spy a ripple blanket! (2nd from top)

[Laura A.]

Beautiful. And I have just the place for your next tulip visit:

http://www.tulipfestival.ca/en/FestivalHistory/

[willow]

Wow! 4.5 milliion tulips in blooom all at once. Wow!

I'm glad you shared the photos. Guess how many tulips are in my garden? Zero. They just don't do so well here in SoCal.

The big question: how many bulbs did you purchase?

[KM]

This is on my "Bucket List". I have some other flowerfields too. They're closer to home in California. But, I've loved tulips since I was a little girl. My other fields...if you ever make it this far across the world. The Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley, an orange blanket. http://k2togwonderfullymade.wordpress.com/2008/04/12/im-not-telling-its-an-adventure/

And the Purple I want to see is in Anza Borrego. http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca_abdsp.html
Scroll down to March 18.

Maybe you'll find some new fields to visit. =0)

[gillie]

Those pictures are stunning, to die for, I am having to tear the green eyed monster off my shoulder as I type :) Tulip time in Holland is definitely on my list, forget bucket list it's on next year's list! Only this morning I was admiring my tulips ..... (and trying not to remember how much all the bulbs cost!) they are but a piffle in the piffle of the piffle in the wind, actually they are not even that!!

[Kelly]

Heaven.

Were you able to visit the Hortus Bulborum (historic bulb garden)?

http://www.hortus-bulborum.nl/eng/nieuws-eng.html

[Mary]

I feel woozy just looking at the photos. And there's going to me more?! I better get a grip on myself before I view them. Beautiful!

[Lynn @ All things bright & beautiful]

Amsterdam, tulip fields and Keukenhof had always been my dream - realised last year - I could not believe what I saw!
I think heaven will be just like Keukenhoff!

[Sal]

Simply gorgeous! ;-)

[Earin]

oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh....

imagine an aerial view

oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh,oh....

[mathea]

Oh, I see a wonderful strippy quilt in red, fuchsia and purple with some green thrown in...
Beatiful pictures as always - thank you!

[Kristina]

Wow! those are amazing-- a carpet of tulips! Are these private growers?

[Françoise]

I read somewhere that Dutch women are the happiest women in the world, that they don't get depressed. It didn't mention tulips but surely knowing all winter that you can count on such a soul-singing display of colors must help, don't you think?