Keukenhof, Flower garden in Lisse, Netherlands.
Keukenhof is a flower garden in Lisse in the Netherlands that displays 7 million flower bulbs across 32 hectares (79 acres) every spring, including tulips, hyacinths and daffodils in long rows and curving beds. The garden divides into several areas with ponds, pavilions and old tree groups that serve as backdrop for the flowers.
The grounds served as hunting territory and kitchen garden for Slot Teylingen castle from the 15th century before opening as a public display garden in 1950. The growers chose the site to show their varieties to a wide public and promote export.
Dutch growers plant beds with new varieties and classic types that visitors discover along winding paths and between old trees. Many guests arrive in April when the fields around the garden are also in bloom and color the landscape.
The garden opens for eight weeks from mid-March to mid-May, with early mornings and late afternoons bringing fewer visitors and better light for photographs. The paths are mostly paved or graveled and easy to navigate for wheelchairs and strollers.
Forty gardeners work from October to December to plant millions of bulbs in specific patterns that form elaborate flower mosaics in spring. The patterns change every year so no visit resembles the previous one.
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