Holiday to Holland First day at Keukenhof Gardens

 For the first time in several years we have journeyed abroad for a holiday. This holiday was being run by local John Martin Coach Holidays,  and both John who mainly drove, and Martin were a great team.  We stopped in Colchester for dinner before boarding the overnight ferry

After an early breakfast on board, we set off for the Keukenhof Gardens.  This is the first visit for us, and we had the best of weather: warm and sunny for our visit.  Although we arrived just at the opening time, the queues were already forming, but I guess continental visitors had looked up the weather forecast and decided to come on the best day within a fortnight.  The gardens are magnificent and the tulips very carefully chosen and planted out  densely, the lawns were perfect, and paths meandered around wonderful trees.  

Here follows is a selection pictures interspersed with a few of my thoughts. Each autumn the 7 million bulbs are planted by hand.  The quality of the blooms, and their lack of variation is a reflection of the care in growing on the bulbs.  The local soil for growing the bulbs is very sandy loam, so very different to the heavy clay here in my garden. 

I was particularly impressed by the trees in the grounds, which on a sunny day before the leaves have emerged gives a little shade to the bulbs and also delightful shadows on the swathes of perfect lawn.

Scattered around the park and even within the flower beds are a number of sculptures, some of which I had time to capture, but with my thoughts turning more towards the flowers, I didn't take much time over them, but on a second visit I would probably ask if their was a list of the sculptures and more details about each one.

There are a number of large buildings around the grounds dedicated to exhibitions which would give areas to escape to in inclement weather.  There were some fabulous displays as good as any at Chelsea Flower Show. The way the plants have been brought on to this standard and for the range of plants to be in flower in mid April is a true testimony to the specialist growers. 

My mother would have been super impressed by the variety of Anthuriums on show. These are just a few of the cultivars:

As for the orchids I have a hard time choosing my favourite even amongst the few I took pictures of.

The cut flower displays showed off the best of what Holland supplies to Europe, and this is just a small corner of the exhibition.

In the Willem-Alexander building, one could get up close to displays of tulips and the yellow and orange ones were most prominent in the sunshine.

Returning to the garden, there was of course a Windmill, with too long a queue, and many more glorious beds with flowering trees set off by very green lawns.

As for the remaining days of our holiday, separate posts will follow.