Come the first sign of warmer weather, a cornucopia of
tightly-packed tulips and early-spring flowers starts spreading a sea of color
along the flatlands of Northern Holland. Anna J. Kutor takes a pick of the
flower parades, artful garden displays and flower fields that show off the
Netherlands’ petal power.

Flowers, and expressly tulips, are to the Netherlands what
wine is to France or pasta is to Italy - a tourist-drawing card, a major source
of national income and a central constituent of the local cultural identity.
From late February to mid-May, the pristine fields of Northern Holland become
awash with vibrantly colored tulips laid out in symmetrical and seemingly
endless rows, creating an eye-catching patch work that, from a bird’s eye
perspective, looks like an avant-garde Lego arrangement. The visual and sensory
overload of the ephemeral tulip blossom has become an internationally-recognized symbol of the country, drawing folk from all corners
of the globe.

For travelers who rebel against the rigidness of a guided
tour and like to experience natural beauty closer to the bone, one of the
easiest and most delightful ways to view the dreamlike tulip terrain is by
bicycle. The Bollenstreek, or the “bulb-growing area”, spreads out
over 10,000 hectares between Amsterdam and The Hague, but for a condensed
source of flower power, two-wheelers should stick to the bountiful cycle paths
between Haarlem and Leiden.

The fields surrounding Lisse and Sassenheim are the most
popular (and arguably the prettiest) petal pilgrimage spots, and they are also
in close proximity to Panorama Tulipland, a 63-meter-long 4 meter-high painting
designed by Dutch artist Leo van de Ende. This massive cylindrical object
d’art, completed in 2008 after over 6,000 hours were invested in the project,
depicts the flower bulb district as it looked in the 1950s.

Big Beautiful Business

Tulip buds are in full-throttle bloom by mid-March, which is when the Keukenhof
Gardens, the Netherlands’ leading floral landmark, launches its annual
nine-week festival of flowers.

A 32-hectare park located near Lisse, the “kitchen garden” (as
Keukenhof translates) started in 1949 when prominent bulb-growers in the region
joined forces to display their best and newest flower varieties. Over time, the
garden grew in stature and reputation, and today ,more than 90 growers plan
nearly seven million bulbs, including around 2,000 varieties of tulips alone. An
ambitious art-meets-nature attraction packed with ever-changing flower beds,
themed gardens, indoor pavilions, a large pond, several sculptures and a
quintessential windmill, the flowering spectacle stimulates the senses of
nearly 900,000 visitors per annum.

In honor of Keukenhof’s 60th anniversary and New York’s (aka New Amsterdam’s)
400th  year of existence this year, the
grandiose garden (open from March 19-May 21) will feature a variety of
US-themed flower mosaics, like that of the Statue of Liberty, created from a
total of 25,000 blossoming buds.

Since the 16th century, the native knack for business coupled with a passion for
horticulture and creative experimentation with bulb varieties has catapulted the
Dutch into the world’s elite tulip traders. The country now boasts over 3,500
tulip hybrids and producers an approximate 3 billion bulbs annually, of which
close to 70 percent is exported to tulip-loving countries like the US, Germany
and Japan.

Preserving the gene pool of Holland’s flower source of pride of Hortus Bulborum, a museum
garden located in the tiny town of Limmen that cultivates a collection of about
3,500 historical bulbs, including the crimson and yellow-hued “Duc van
Tol” tulips planted each year since 1595.

Floating Foliage

One of the high points of the springtime flower extravaganza is the Bloemencorno
van de Bollenstreek  (Bulb District
Flower Parade), a grand procession of flower-laden floats that make a 40-kilometer
journey from Noordwijk via Sassenheim, Lisse and Bennebroek to Haarlem, where
they stay on display for another day. Dedicated to a different theme each year,
the cascade of 20 elaborately designed floats and some three-dozen decorated
cars - hand-crafted from a myriad of flowers by professional florists and
talented volunteers - enchant the thousands of spectators that line the
promenade.

This year’s pageant, held on April 24th and 25th, will center around famous books,
so watch out for over-sized Harry Potters, a unique interpretation of Bakker’s
“The Twin” or even a creepy Stephen King creature cruising in the
cool North Sea breeze. If nothing else, they will surely scratch that itch for
a flower fix.