Keukenhof: The Garden of Europe

The Dune and Bulb area of Holland is globe famous for Keukenhof which is situated between Amsterdam and the Dutch capital The Hague. Keukenhof (The Garden of Europe) is the globe biggest flower garden with an annual development of seven million flower bulbs on an region of 32 hectares.

Keukenhof, The Garden of Europe – Image from wonders-of-nature.net

The estate on which Keukenhof is a hunting region from the 15th century.  This location was popular for the collection of Herbs for the kitchen (keuken) for Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut‘s castle. So the name Keukenhof is also derived from it. The garden was produced on this historic region of Lisse in 1949 by the then-mayor of Lisse. The principal goal was to promote the special Dutch flower sector and to invite the floral cultivators from all more than Netherlands and Europe to come up and show their hybrids. So eventually the small town of Holland, Lisse also became identified to the planet for Keukenhof. Keukenhof is open for the public every single year in the last week of March to mid-May. The best time to go to is regarded as in April even so it also depends on the suitable weather conditions.

Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, Image from t-gardenblog.blogspot.com

In the blooming season Keukenhof is filled with hundreds of thousands of blooming tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring bulbs. For entire nine weeks Keukenhof becomes the center of the interest for hundreds of  growers, and breeders who exhibit  their best foot forward to the a huge numbers of guests and vacationers. In this annual floral exhibition of Keukenhof all these tremendous and awesome verities of tulips and other flowers are shown in a variety of pavilions in a very artistic manner. The atmosphere of Keukenhof is so inspirational and enriched with nature that it amuses the guests of each age. This enormous floral garden consists of 15 kilometers of footpaths.

Tulip Flowers of Keukenhof, Image from koningshof.co.uk

The renowned castle of Keukenhof is also adjacent to this park. Though Keukenhof is opened each year on its certain schedule but the grounds of Castle Keukenhof are opened each and every time which are usually utilised for conducting cultural festivals and musical events.

Castle of Keukenhof

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The charismatic Bluebell of Europe

A fine and subtle spirit dwells
In every single little flower,
Each 1 its personal sweet feeling breathes
With more or less of power.
There is a silent eloquence
In every wild bluebell
That fills my softened heart with bliss
That words could never ever tell. Anne Bronte

It could be a symbol of anguish or isolation for the romantic poets who named it Bluebell but for the Green panthers it is just meticulous to view the thick bluebell woods of Europe in Spring. In Botany they are named as Hyacinthoides non-scripta and typically they are identified as Typical Bluebells or Virginia Bluebells. The Charismatic Bluebell of Europe is endemic to Belgium, Fantastic Britain, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, and as a naturalized species in Germany, Italy, and Romania. There are some varieties of Bluebells in other colors also but they are the most well-known in lavender-blue.

Frequent Bluebells. Photo : Bernie Kasper for BFK Photography

The exquisite Bluebell flowers are so delicate but they can be grown quite simply. The ideal thriving condition for Bluebell flowers is regarded beneath partial sunlight or in borders. They can absorb the sunlight for their requirement in little morning sun or in afternoon shade. The seedlings of Bluebell can flower after two years from seed and they can survive for many years in favorable situations. It is far better to develop them separate from other flowers as crowded plantation is not appropriate for them.  The flowers normally bloom in the begin of April and they need moderate watering once they bloom.

Bluebell Wood. Image © Michael Paynton

 This is definitely an amazing knowledge to walk in a bluebell wood specially in spring-time when there is a carpet of bluebells  underneath.  In their peak season when the nation sides are filled with the wild bluebell flowers the view is just like a marvelous spectacle of nature. Waresley and Gransden Wood, and Lady’s Wood, close to Ramsey in England are actually excellent websites where the wild and adorable Bluebells appear so charismatic in the season.

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