If you go to The Netherlands in April and don’t see any tulips, did you even really go? On Thursday, April 13, we decided to take a trip to the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens so we could see an overabundance of tulips. And boy did it provide!
The gardens are located just outside of Amsterdam, so Joel and Steve came back into the city to pick us up, and we crammed 3 grown adults in the back seat for the hour-long drive. It was cozy but luckily the gardens were worth it!
We had to purchase tickets, which helps the gardens to stagger entry times. Even with that, it was still quite crowded and we often had to navigate our way through a sea of people. I think it was extra crowded because it was really peak time for the tulips, and the weather was perfect! Look at these gorgeous rows of colorful flowers.
As we walked through the gardens there were also sorts of interesting things to see mixed in with the flowers. Like some cool statues, my personal favorite being these cows that seem to be caught up in some kind of tornado…
And this VW bug that seemed to be planted with the flowers…(not the only car we saw in the gardens!)
We saw a giant windmill, of course…
We walked through several greenery archways…
We enjoyed the water features…
And we paused for a family photo on a bridge.
We found a shop where they sell all the tulip varieties and will ship them anywhere in the world. So my mom spent the better part of an hour picking out some tulips to have sent home. It was a bit pricey but a pretty worthy and long-lasting souvenir!
While all the outdoor gardens were amazing, I particularly loved an indoor bit where they had dozens and dozens of varieties planted and all labeled.
I don’t think I could choose a favorite if you made me, so I will share just a few that particularly caught my eye. Like these pink feathery-edged ones…
And this “Queen of Night” variety that they call black, but I think is really a deep purple…
Then there are the ones that hardly even look like tulips, like these gorgeous pink ones…
And this crazy-looking one that just happens to be Iowa State University colors…
And I couldn’t resist putting these two varieties side by side - “American Dream” and “Healthcare” (because I think they are odd names for tulip varieties, and my American Dream is for the US to get universal healthcare!)
I could go on but that is probably enough flower photos for now. Suffice it to say, if you ever find yourself in the vicinity of Keukenhof Gardens in the springtime, it is well worth a visit.
XOXO, Bethany