Do you want to know how Dutch tulips brought to the Russian cold grow? I'm telling you!
Not on purpose, but by coincidence - we ended up at a local mini-fair of tulip farmers...
Times and centuries have passed since then, when one super-tulip bulb could buy an entire block in Amsterdam... That was a long time ago. The tulip business is now for those who grow flowers for sale bouquets - they are completely on the verge of profitability. According to all conversations - 3 euro cents per flower. In the place about which the story is told, 1.5 million flowers are grown from the end of December until about now.
But in general, several interests coincided - and we moved on March 19, already three weeks ago, to the tulip greenhouses nearby. I confess, there was an insidious plan - to agree on hourly employment just for the sake of clinking some coins. But firstly, everything has already been mastered by the Central Europeans, and secondly, the whole season is almost at the end.
Therefore, I’ll just tell you what we saw - all the tulips from the Netherlands most likely grew in Russia as well. In hydroponics and greenhouses.
But in order. First, the bulbs are frozen in the dark. Therefore, when they are placed in plastic boxes, they are reddish and shriveled. Well, it’s like you from the super-cold weather - strong, red-cheeked. So are they.
In the first week they will be just like that. Then they will warm up, grow up, stretch out... Fortunately, the sun is light through the transparent roof + warmth (warm) + humid (singing). And so on for another 3 weeks. From here you can see trays with plants in different stages of growth.
And now the flower arrows are ready! There are at least 8 signs by which they are sorted for suitability in a bouquet. Honestly, I don’t know everyone. Associated with the condition of the external flower and leaves.
The first stage of selection is manual, collective. The clearly Romanian guys managed to select most suitable tulips right along the way (see About the criteria above) - and with a beautiful gesture, put them on their hands, and then - in a box.
The boxes are brought to the conveyor. There are also quality controls - at any moment the flower can be rejected and you will never see it...
But first - from the box - into the sorting and trimming belt.
That is, the bulb is cut in any way and then even shredded into nothing (for tulip diseases)…
...and the flower comes along a conveyor belt to a young girl with 8-10 sprouts and bouquets (a micro-bouquet is made more often from 10 flowers, but sometimes from 8 - and this depends on the country receiving the bouquet!).
From the mini-bundles, the girl at the end of the conveyor belt makes the usual tulip bouquet, which will go to auction...
I hope I remember correctly. The cost of 1 flower is approximately 26 - 27 cents. At a tulip auction, the price for 1 flower (in a mega batch, of course) is not the worst - about 30 cents. The office grows approximately 3 million tulips from December to March. Consider for yourself what comes next for water - light - labor from 3 cents per flower.
This year, judging by my friend’s words, people are still in profit.
By the way, they also teach here.
The most famous location for a photo shoot in the tulip fields is, of course, the Dutch Royal Tulip Park Keukenhof. Almost every girl, woman, and grandmother dreams of coming here. By the way, there are more men among Chinese visitors.
The park was founded in 1840. It is located 30 km from Amsterdam, in the town of Lisse. And it works a little less than 2 months a year - from late March to mid-May. In 2018, the park will be open from March 22 to May 13.
Already at the entrance to the city of Lisse, huge tulip fields begin. But in this part of the country they are cut early; in May the picture in the fields looks like this:
But the fields can still be found along the highway in the north of the Netherlands, around the cities of Drachten and Groningen.
Today in Holland, more than 22 thousand hectares of land are allocated for growing tulips, on which about three billion flowers grow. Two thirds of them are exported, and only one third remains in the country. Tulips are the most important export goods Netherlands. By the way, the first tulips were brought from Constantinople in the 1550s. It’s amazing how flowers born in Asia have gotten along and taken root in the northern country.
In the Lisse area you can see huge harvesters cutting ripe tulips and packaging those that have passed computer quality control into bouquets. And those that do not meet the quality remain by the wayside
Next to the park there is a market where a variety of fresh bouquets and bulbs are many times larger than those at the famous Bloemenmarkt flower market in the center of Amsterdam. Here is a bouquet of 50 tulips in Lisse costs 3-5 euros, in Amsterdam 10 euros:
And we waste no time and go into the park.
The entrance ticket costs 16-17 euros, parking costs 6 euros. There are transfers to the park by bus or train from Amsterdam Airport, Central Station and Haarlem. In this case, tickets are combined and range from 24.5 to 35 euros (depending on the starting point, the cost for a round trip). Read more about transfers.
We arrived by car on May 5th. We were afraid of seeing only wilted flower beds, but we were lucky with cold weather the week before our trip.
We admire the pictures:
There should have been colorful fields of tulips in this place, but there were only pale daffodils. The tulips have already been cut. The park has 3 panoramic platforms from which it should open beautiful view to the fields in April, but not May:
Different varieties. By the way, the main pride of a Dutchman is that they will call you after you new variety tulips.
Postcards for all women's holidays are ready for many years to come:
The main flowerbed meets us at the entrance to the park:
Landscape of the park. Please also note a small amount of visitors. We arrived at about 15:00. The park closes at 19:30. We ran almost until closing, we missed something, but we still had a lot of impressions:
And we luckily got to the flowering fruit trees. The tulip fields were missed, but the trees in combination with the flower beds were simply wow:
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The visitor fits harmoniously into the background
Recently, helicopter rides have also been organized in the park.
In addition to flower beds and fields, the park has 3 indoor greenhouses where flower festivals are organized. In 2017, we couldn’t take our eyes off the colorful bouquets in one of the pavilions: 
The scenery is very cool:
You should definitely visit the pavilions!
Orchid Pavilion: 
So, you should definitely visit the Royal Tulip Park at least once! It operates from late March to mid-May. Specifically, each year you need to check the opening dates on the park’s website.
Tickets to Amsterdam from the most popular cities:
In general, interesting price offers for this period (March-May) appear around January. KLM airline regularly launches sales on air tickets after the winter holidays.
Accommodation in Amsterdam itself costs above the European average, but you can look for some very interesting hotels further away from Amsterdam itself. Thus, see a country that is very different from the capital.
We traveled all over the Netherlands from Belgium (Antwerp) to Germany (Bremen). Incredible and very interesting. Therefore, in addition to Amsterdam, you can include the following cities in your trip:
1. The Hague. We are delighted with the Madurodam miniature park and the embankment. Interesting places to visit are the Louwman Museum and the Peace Palace.
2. Rotterdam is fascinating modern architecture. And the Kinderdijk mill complex.
3. The Belgian-Dutch town of Baarle-Hertog, walking through which you cross the border between Belgium and the Netherlands 24 times!!!
4. Park under open air with mills and local production in Zaandam
By the way, this entire route with a visit to Keukenhof (Tulip Park) took us only 3 days. But it’s not worth repeating)))
Route St. Petersburg - Paris for 3 weeks, through 8 countries
Have a pleasant trip and lots of impressions to YOU!
A trip to the tulip fields is a chance to be surrounded by a whole sea of flowers, which doesn’t happen so often. In April - early May there is such an opportunity in Holland. Come and be sure to take advantage of it!
When do tulip fields bloom in Holland?
The start of the tulip season greatly depends on how cold the winter and spring will be. Naturally, this is unpredictable, so it is impossible to guarantee exactly when tulips will bloom in 2020.
However, as a guide, based on the experience of previous years: the greatest chances of catching the tulip fields in full bloom are from about the 20th of April to the second week of May.
You can follow how and where tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are blooming at the moment on the FlowerRadar website.
Where to find tulip fields in Holland?
The fields are located in the area of the towns of Lisse, Hillegom, Noordwijkerhout, Zilk. More precise coordinates of the fields blooming at the time of your visit can be found, again, on the FlowerRadar website.
If you're traveling without a car, here are two of the best simple ways get to the flower fields:
Maps of cycling routes through the tulip fields are also available.
Is it possible to go to the tulip fields?
Let's be honest, farmers are not always delighted with the fact that a flood of people wishing to make beautiful photos. In some fields there are signs asking you not to walk on them, because... Sensitive varieties of flowers grow there, and shoe soles can become infected. In other cases, fields are often surrounded by a ditch filled with water.
However, among the flower fields you can find those that have open access. According to unspoken rules, you can go there. Naturally, you should respect the work of farmers and treat flowers with care. You cannot pick tulips in the fields!
Helicopter tours over tulip fields
Do you want something completely unusual? Order helicopter tour over tulip fields. The cost of the tour is 129 euros per person.
Please note: Helicopter tours are available just a few days for the entire season: April 4, April 11, April 12, April 18, April 25 and April 26, 2020. Limited number of seats. You can check the program and book a tour.
Where else can you see blooming tulips in Holland?
Of course, in the Royal Park of Flowers. In 2020, Keukenhof will be open from March 21 to May 10. Opening hours: from 8.00 to 19.30. Ticket offices are open until 18.00.
You can buy tickets online, which will significantly save you time entering the park.
You may also be interested in:
Where to stay when traveling to Keukenhof? Check out hotels in Lisse, Noordwijk, Leiden and Haarlem. From all these cities it is easy to get to Keukenhof.
Holland is known throughout the world for both its tulips and other flowers. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world annually make a pilgrimage to the flowering fields and to the world-famous FloraHolland flower auctions located in the cities of Aalsmeer, Rijnsburg and Naaldwijk. In this article we will talk about what time of year you can find flowering fields and how to get to them, as well as about the flower exchange (available to visit all year round) and how it can be interesting for tourists. Your trip will become even more interesting with our application and our audio guide-walk around Amsterdam. Download!
Flower fields
First of all, it is worth noting that flower fields are not just scattered chaotically throughout the country, but are mainly concentrated around flower auctions and around the Keukenhof park. The location close to auctions is very pragmatic and allows farmers to quickly deliver their products for sale. The most visited among tourists are the fields of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths around Keukenhof, namely in Lisse. This is explained not only by the worldwide fame of the park itself, but also by the fact that Lisse is extremely easy to get to by bus from Lieden.
Let's look at the most famous flower fields and how to get to them.
- In Lisse, flower fields are located on the streets: Zwartelaan, Essenlaan, Loosterweg-Zuid and Herenweg. Getting to Lisse, as we already said, is quite simple. From Leiden by bus 50 (direction Haarlem),
- In Hillegom: Veenenburgerlaan, Zuider Leidsevaart and Derde Loosterweg. You can get there by train from Amsterdam Centraal.
- To Noordwijkerhout: Herenweg and Westeinde. You can get there from Leiden by bus 57 (direction Hillegom)
- In Zilk: Zilkerbinnenweg. Exactly the same as in Noordwijkerhout, just go a few stops further to Hoogduinweg.
An alternative option is to cycle along this route, called Bloemenbollenroute (known as the Flower Route). On a note! If you are in doubt about the best way to get there or you are faced with the problem of canceled or late transport, the website will help you plan your door-to-door trip. Simply enter your starting point and destination (city/street/postal code), as well as departure or arrival time and type of transport.
Flower auctions FloraHolland
Flower auctions of the FloraHolland association attract tourists from all over the world. FloraHolland is a stock exchange in the truest sense of the word. Only they trade there not in stocks or oil, but in flowers. These auctions are somewhat similar to an autonomous city, since work is in full swing around the clock. Inside each auction there is a cafe, relaxation and smoking areas, and even hairdressers. The attractive thing is that the auction is freely accessible to tourists. You can watch the work of buyers from a special gallery. Tourists at FloraHolland have a unique opportunity to find themselves in the center of the international flower trade.
As we have already said, the FloraHolland flower auction is located in three cities: Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg. You can visit any of them! However, it is considered that the auction in Aalsmeer is the most convenient to visit due to its size (the largest of the three) and its proximity to Schiphol airport. You can get from the airport by bus 198 (Direction Aalsmeer Hortensiaplein), leaving from Schiphol bus station. The auction is open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 to 11 am and on Thursdays from 7 to 9 am.
We recommend planning your visit as soon as possible early hours, since it is in the first hours of opening that the auction operates at full capacity. FloraHolland is closed to the public on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and December 31st. If you decide not to use a guide, follow this route: From The Visitor Center, walk through the gallery through the auction complex. At the end of the gallery there are the main halls, where you can see how flowers are brought and sorted before they go directly to the auction itself. There are information panels throughout the gallery with explanations in four languages. If you want to use the services of guides, it makes sense to purchase Aalsmeer Combi-ticket, which includes a three-part excursion:
- 07.00: 1.5 hour tour of the auction
- 10.00: Visit to the historical garden in Aalsmeer
- 13:30: Boat trip along Westeinderplassen
The Aalsmeer Combi-ticket can be purchased from April 1 to October 2, 2015, from Tuesday to Friday. Ticket price for adults: €13.50, for children: €8.25.
If you are driving, please note that parking is free for auction visitors. It is located on the roof (follow the white sign P23).
Flowering season in Holland. When is the best time to go?
The flowering season for fields in Holland is considered to be between mid-March and mid-May. However, in reality, flowers simply do not tend to bloom on the same schedule every year. It all depends on the temperature. Therefore, if the winter turns out to be relatively warm, active flowering in most fields can be observed already in early April.
The Dutch themselves also monitor the beginning of the flowering season in the fields. Many even use a well-known website to monitor the blooms in the flower fields of Noordwijkerhout. Thanks to it, you can find out when the tulip fields are in their most beautiful flowering phase.
We advise you to pay attention to National Tulip Day, which takes place every year in Amsterdam on Dam Square. And this is far from the only flower festival in Holland! An overview of similar holidays with dates and programs is presented at
A friend brought me tulip bulbs from Amsterdam. I really asked her to go to the flower market in the city and buy me real Dutch tulips. The time was certainly not the best for a purchase, but there was no other opportunity.
They brought the bulbs. They are very big, at least in our stores they look flimsier. But the worst thing is that these bulbs began to rot. Apparently there is a lot of moisture, not dried. But it would be a pity if such beauty was lost.
And I decided to conduct another experiment, planting spoiled bulbs in pots.
These are the tulips that came to my village.
I understand that the bulbs must be disinfected. I have a supply of potassium permanganate that has been stored for a long time. You need to keep the bulbs in the solution.
This is the solution I prepared
Placed the bulbs in it
And then I planted them in these containers.
So the experiment began. I will definitely post photos of how these bulbs turn out. I really want to save them, and then put them in normal soil, in a flowerbed, so that this beauty will bring joy.
Whoever kept the onions at home, write where to put them so that they could be preserved - in heat, cold, in a dry or damp room. I would be very grateful for your advice.
