fields of dreams

   

By the time I left the Keukenhof Gardens, it seemed like there was at least one person per bulb in the place -all seven million of them. I'd guessed it would be busy so arrived as early as I could (the gardens open refreshingly early at 8.00) so when I saw the 10 mile queue of cars headed into Lisse as I left, I felt rather pleased with myself.

So I am amazed I managed to take a few photos without a billion humans in each one. It took some doing and I would have liked to have some stepladders with me for some aerial shots and to cut out the people who spoil the views...

The Keukenhof is big enough to have a huge diversity of tulip- and general bulb-planting styles and experiments. So there are formal, linear beds of single varieties (above) which mimic the bulb-fields, and there are the multi-coloured drifts which aren't so much pick 'n' mix as mix 'n' pick in all sorts of sweet colours. This example below works so well because it keeps to one single type of tulip (lily flowered).

There are some lovely two-colour beds which throw all colour-caution to the winds and which make me think immediately of quilt pieces,

and sometimes there are three-colour patches like this one which made me want to find a fabric version immediately.

 

There are beds in full sun (below) and plantings in woodland where a delicate, dappled light is cast onto on the flowers and stops them from opening up too quickly.

like this (below).

I also liked seeing tulips near buildings - giving an idea of how they work in gardens. Mind you, I've never seen such a brilliant shed in any garden I know. And how about that for a living roof?

I even enjoyed the contrast of a more mellow setting which matches paler tulips to softer wood colours.

Just looking at all these photos again gives me frissons of excitement. I phoned Simon as I was walking around and told him it's possible to hire bikes at the Keukenhof to cycle round the bulb-fields and avoid the crowds. Suddenly he seemed interested in tulips and said he'd come with me next year. It's a date.

Comments

[Sally Herdegen]

Hi Jane
what a feast for the senses. Have you ever thought of designing fabric?
Enjoying you book immensly.
xxx

[dana]

Thanks so much for your lovely tulip photos. My dear friend was lucky enough to visit the Keukenhof last spring and brought back some bulbs for me. They are just blooming in a pot by my front door-a deep dramatic red with parroty petals. Here in the Pacific Northwest we too have tulip fields, which tourists travel to see. There is no eye candy quite an intense mass of tulips in the sunshine. They are like glowing goblets of colored light.

[knitting nix]

So beautiful....

[Margot K]

All of the photos are artfully taken. I most like the final one with soft colors near the natural wood building. That photo warms my romantic heart.It speaks of a home blessed with dapled light, the gift of sheltering trees where outdoor life can be lived most pleasantly.

[Chan]

Dear Françoise - thank you for the suggestion about mail order bulbs.. but unfortunately Argentina does not in any way allow the importation of any kind of seed / bulb / plant material. It's all strictly forbidden. Unless you are a business of course. But even that's pretty tricky. Plus import duty is 50% of value of the goods except if it's books. So the answer is that I will have to live without beautiful bulbs for a while longer. In the mean time I will enjoy them on lovely blogs like Jane's.

[vix]

Wow the colours are so brilliant they look fake!! Thanks for sharing these amazing veiws.

[Jane]

What an inspirational shed (as well as the tulips, of course).

I presume you've seen this pattern?

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring03/PATTtiptoe.html

I finished my second pair last night, they're good fun.

[kmkat]

Tulips in a slightly different setting:
http://creategermany.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/a-comfortable-r.html

[jennifer at pink ric rac]

OMG! Love those pics!

PS- Come on over! I'm doing a giveaway at my place! :)

[Naomi]

Tulips under the tall green trees - just beautiful!

[Poppy Black]

How exciting. Actually I think one tulip is enough to make a tuliphile elated! They are divine. Even more exciting for me because my lovely mummy and daddy are on their big OE and have just been to Keukenhof too. They loved it. Gosh your photos are just amazing! What is the next book going to be about? Can't wait for your cooking one :)!XXX

[Melanie]

What a wonderful feast for the eyes and what a great idea to go to Holland, which looks anything but flat and dreary (I'm allowed to say that as I come from Lincolnshire). For a spectacular display,the daffodils, snowdrops and crocus at Hampton Court Palace are pretty good, but it pales in comparison to these vivid tulips.

[lynne Robinson]

Your photos bring back fond memories of my own visits to the Keukenhof Gardens when we lived in the Netherlands from 1989-1991. Glorious, heh?

Lovely, lovely photos.

[Christian]

are the flowers on the yellow shed pansies or miniature tulips?

[Linnea]

Hi Jane, the buttery colored tulips third picture from the bottom, are amazing. That is my favorite picture!! What a trip!

[Anne-Marie]

I've been reading your blog for months now, but I don't think I ever left a comment. Your photos are beautiful, and they are what keeps me coming back. Coincidentally, I went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Western Washington (north of Seattle)(http://www.tulipfestival.org/index.php). Althought they don't have the long-standing tradition of the Keukenhof gardens, they have very pretty tulips too...