Take a Tour of an Enchanting Bulb Garden in the Netherlands
Keukenhof — featuring acres of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and more — bursts with ideas and blooms
Lauren Dunec Hoang
April 25, 2017
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
Nestled in the heart of the Netherlands’ sandy-soiled bulb-growing region, just south of Amsterdam, lies a garden that blooms for just a few weeks in spring with an astonishing display of color and fragrance. Perhaps it is Keukenhof’s ephemeral beauty — or self-proclaimed status as the most beautiful spring garden in the world — that draws visitors from around the globe to stroll the meandering paths and admire the artfully arranged beds of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths.
Whether you would like to bookmark Keukenhof for your travel list or are looking for planting ideas for your yard, sit back and take a tour of this stunning spring garden.
Whether you would like to bookmark Keukenhof for your travel list or are looking for planting ideas for your yard, sit back and take a tour of this stunning spring garden.
Beds of new bulb hybrids and tried-and-true favorites spread over the 79-acre grounds, interspersed with flowering cherry trees, naturalistic ponds, woodland areas, and sculptures from local and international artists.
On the site of what was once the hunting grounds of a 15th-century estate, the garden in its present form dates back to 1949, when the mayor of the region came up with the idea to hold an annual bulb exhibition as a boost to the Dutch flower and bulb export trade.
Bulb growers were invited to show off their hybrids of tulips, hyacinths and narcissus as part of the exhibition — a tradition that continues to this day with nearly 7 million bulbs (many of which are donated by local growers) planted annually.
On the site of what was once the hunting grounds of a 15th-century estate, the garden in its present form dates back to 1949, when the mayor of the region came up with the idea to hold an annual bulb exhibition as a boost to the Dutch flower and bulb export trade.
Bulb growers were invited to show off their hybrids of tulips, hyacinths and narcissus as part of the exhibition — a tradition that continues to this day with nearly 7 million bulbs (many of which are donated by local growers) planted annually.
Keeping in mind the intent of the garden — to showcase Dutch bulb diversity and show off new hybrids — can help one overlook the sometimes Disneyland-esque displays of gaudy colors and artificial bed layouts.
Rivers of Color
Where the real magic lies is not in the over-the-top displays, but rather in the garden details — fresh, inspired bulb combinations and almost hidden plantings among the various garden rooms and woodland landscapes. And unlike the large-scale, highly manicured exhibits, the smaller garden areas and container combinations offer more accessible design ideas to replicate at home.
Where the real magic lies is not in the over-the-top displays, but rather in the garden details — fresh, inspired bulb combinations and almost hidden plantings among the various garden rooms and woodland landscapes. And unlike the large-scale, highly manicured exhibits, the smaller garden areas and container combinations offer more accessible design ideas to replicate at home.
For example, in a forested area of the grounds, a swath of mass-planted grape hyacinths (Muscari sp.) curves below trees and woodland shrubs like a cobalt-blue river. The planting design is all the more appealing for not looking too manicured or man-made — almost as if the grape hyacinths could have grown naturally in a whimsical meander.
To re-create this look at home (perhaps on a smaller scale), clear a narrow, curving bed between existing trees and plant tightly with grape hyacinth bulbs in fall.
To re-create this look at home (perhaps on a smaller scale), clear a narrow, curving bed between existing trees and plant tightly with grape hyacinth bulbs in fall.
This simple yet utterly springlike combination of white-petaled, gold-centered daffodils (Narcissus ‘Soestdijk’) and purple-blue hyacinths (Hyacinth ‘Blue Star’) would make a stunning border planting in a home garden.
Standout Container Displays
Potted bulb displays placed at intervals along the pathways act as bright accents. Here, a display of red-edged yellow tulips and tiny white grape hyacinths stands out in a dark container.
For an easy container combination, combine one medium to tall bulb (like tulips or narcissus) with a low bulb (grape hyacinths or crocuses) planted around the edges, or stick to a single standout variety planted to fill the container.
Potted bulb displays placed at intervals along the pathways act as bright accents. Here, a display of red-edged yellow tulips and tiny white grape hyacinths stands out in a dark container.
For an easy container combination, combine one medium to tall bulb (like tulips or narcissus) with a low bulb (grape hyacinths or crocuses) planted around the edges, or stick to a single standout variety planted to fill the container.
Deep purple hyacinths massed in a low bowl form an elegant — and intensely fragrant — container composition.
Other potted bulbs poke out of wooden crates — perhaps a nod to how bulbs are shipped from the Netherlands around the world. Dropping already-potted tulips into the display crates allows for spent tulips to be swapped out for others beginning to bloom.
The same no-potting-required technique can be used at home to put together quick and easy container displays. Pick up potted bulbs at the nursery in spring, then sink them — still in the plastic nursery pots — into a larger container or wooden crate.
The same no-potting-required technique can be used at home to put together quick and easy container displays. Pick up potted bulbs at the nursery in spring, then sink them — still in the plastic nursery pots — into a larger container or wooden crate.
Other areas of the Keukenhof grounds include a formal English landscape-style garden, a walled historical garden planted with heirloom bulbs, and various pavilions housing rotating exhibitions of cut-flower shows.
Thoughtful Color Palettes
In the beds to the left of the wishing well in the previous photo, a mixed pastel planting of pink and lavender tulips, buttery-yellow daffodils, and purple Fritillaria come together in a beautiful, informal way.
To keep mixed bulb plantings from looking chaotic, stick to a color palette such as all pastels or a color gradient like pink to red.
3 Color Palettes to Help Set Your Garden’s Mood
In the beds to the left of the wishing well in the previous photo, a mixed pastel planting of pink and lavender tulips, buttery-yellow daffodils, and purple Fritillaria come together in a beautiful, informal way.
To keep mixed bulb plantings from looking chaotic, stick to a color palette such as all pastels or a color gradient like pink to red.
3 Color Palettes to Help Set Your Garden’s Mood
Single varieties of bulbs planted in bands of color pack more of a punch and look more regimented than more free-form mixed plantings. Here, two rows of color-blocked cream and blue hyacinths create a formal display.
A band of daffodils snakes along the pathway like a river of gold.
Coordinated Bloom Times
Meticulous planning of staggered bloom times ensures that there are bulbs in bloom throughout Keukenhof’s season — often with one variety of bulb emerging just as the blooms of another fade. In this photo, midseason tulips emerge from a bed of early-blooming Siberian squills (Scilla siberica). The addition of a late-blooming tulip or narcissus would further extend bloom time.
At home, layer a single bed with multiple bulb varieties with staggered bloom times to enjoy a changing display of flowers all spring.
Meticulous planning of staggered bloom times ensures that there are bulbs in bloom throughout Keukenhof’s season — often with one variety of bulb emerging just as the blooms of another fade. In this photo, midseason tulips emerge from a bed of early-blooming Siberian squills (Scilla siberica). The addition of a late-blooming tulip or narcissus would further extend bloom time.
At home, layer a single bed with multiple bulb varieties with staggered bloom times to enjoy a changing display of flowers all spring.
Conversely, other beds are planned with all bulbs to bloom in symphony. For example, the unusual combination of bulbs above were selected to bloom together in mid-April. Orange fritillaries (Fritillaria ‘Aurora’) rise above yellow ‘Fortune’ narcissus and a white-and-orange natural narcissus variant.
Natural-Style Plantings
At the outer edges of the grounds, loose swaths of naturalized bulbs flower below mature trees. Many varieties of daffodils (such as Narcissus ‘Erlicheer’), snowdrops (Galanthus spp.), grape hyacinths and crocuses lend themselves well to naturalization, reproducing with “bulblets” to form drifts.
To get a less planned, more natural look of naturalized bulbs at home, toss a bag of bulbs under a tree, then plant them where they land.
At the outer edges of the grounds, loose swaths of naturalized bulbs flower below mature trees. Many varieties of daffodils (such as Narcissus ‘Erlicheer’), snowdrops (Galanthus spp.), grape hyacinths and crocuses lend themselves well to naturalization, reproducing with “bulblets” to form drifts.
To get a less planned, more natural look of naturalized bulbs at home, toss a bag of bulbs under a tree, then plant them where they land.
Visit Keukenhof: Open until May 21, 2017 (then closed until next spring); 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; 2160 AB, Stationsweg 166A, 2161 AM Lisse, Netherlands. More info
Visiting Tips
Visiting Tips
- Check prime time for blooms before booking travel (if possible).
- Get there early or late to enjoy the garden without crowds from tour buses.
- Join a free docent-led tour to learn more about growing bulbs and the current exhibitions.
- Rent bikes in the parking lot outside Keukenhof to bike around surrounding bulb fields.
Surrounding the Keukenhof grounds, farmland stretches for miles, with acres of the quick-draining, sandy soil devoted to growing bulbs. If you’re not entirely bulbed out after a visit to the garden, cycling alongside the rows of red, yellow, orange, pink, blue and white flowers — with their scent wafting through the air — is well worth it.
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We were fortunate to be there April 29th this year. It was spectacular, but the photos don't show the number of people. It was Disneyland on a Spring Break weekend.
I have never seen an abundance of beautiful flowers like this. To say it is breathtaking and amazing is merely an understatement.