Went to see my friend yesterday and she loved the dolphin towel.
It was a nice sunny day and she lives somewhere between Amsterdam and the Hague, the bulb growing area in the Netherlands. So we did the tourist thing and drove around a bit. Too early for tulips, daffodils about to be beheaded (they grow bulbs, not flowers) but the hyacinths were just at their peak and the smell was delicious.Experienced so called sick-seekers (sounds just as funny in Dutch as does the translation) control the plants for viruses and so on and remove those as well as the black sheep (see picture 2 and 3), ones with a different colour or a different species that escaped harvesting. You see them walking along the rows with a bucket and a small scoop. No machine to do that.
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20463wow what a wonderful sight to behold! I can see the odd colour in the rows do they then keep the bulbs & replant again in the right spots? ~hugs~
1 comment
by pldc
22 Apr 2015
I have read (albeit a bit late) that this has already been asked. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful site!
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743287Breathtakingly beautiful. I can almost smell them. Thanks for sharing the lovely photos. Joyce
23577Beautiful glimpse of flowers from heaven! I love flowers of all species. My son-in-law just planted 400 bulbs this year! Four different kinds of daffodils...Now they are moving end of May, they will have to be replanted at the new home. These hyacinths are glorious!
109780Beautiful fields of colour .I wonder what they do with the black sheep ?Do the sick seekers get to keep them as a perk of the job because by the days end sore backs must be common.
1 comment
by mops
17 Apr 2015
Good question, I don't know. They don't want their customers getting a blue hyacinth in their order of pink ones; so I expect them to be ruthless and destroy them with the unhealthy ones but I don't know.
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85867Hi Martine waar waren jullie dan?Hebben in de buurt van Assen nog geen bloembollenvelden ontdekt
1 comment
by mops
16 Apr 2015
Vrienden wonen in Voorhout, rondritje gemaakt tussen hun huis en Lisse. Het hele gebied Hillegom, Sassenheim, Lisse, Noordwijkerhout, Voorhout is een bloemenzee op dit moment.
54619the flowers are just awesome it is absolutly beautiful and the colours no man can create but the Lord
1 comment
by mops
16 Apr 2015
Yes, and years of trying to get the perfect shape and colour, resistance to viruses, lengthened period of flowering, etc. There's quite a lot of science and testing gone into growing new varieties.
There's a Dutch saying that translates (awkwardly) into:
The wind blows,
the windmill turns
it all depends
on the Lord's blessing.
19691877Thank you, you brought back memories of the trip my mother and I took a few years ago to the Netherlands with your beautiful photos. It was the peak time for tulips and she (and I) had such a good time the three weeks we were there. Lovely, lovely country and people. Mom's gone now but I still have the memories...
1 comment
5347Beautiful photos, so pretty I can smell the hyacinths, ha-ha. I love them.
Linda V
776Beautiful. Love hyacinths. Their perfume is delicious. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. Lyn
4757This is wonderful. Have it on my "Must do" visit
2 comments
by mops
16 Apr 2015
You could try a one-day visit if you live not too far from an airport - SAS and KLM often have cheap offers to and from Amsterdam. Schiphol Airport is some 20 minutes drive to the center of the bulbfields - by bus or by (a rental) car.
by edithfarminer
16 Apr 2015
One day not enough Mops lol. Might as well see Madurodam and The open air museum near Arnhem plus Amsterdam etc etc.
113913Oh so beatiful Martine. I use to like to go to Holland, Michigan where the dutch settled and see all the fields of blooming bulbs. I always enjoy the authentic windmills and seeing some of the Dutch folk dancing in the wooden shoes/Lillian
1 comment
by mops
16 Apr 2015
Hi Lilian, they are a beautiful sight, and I loved seeing them again.
Although I've never seen one performance, there seem to be a few groups that dance in wooden shoes. Usually clogs were worn for work, but on Sundays or other occasion you would wear black leather shoes, with silver buckles if you could afford those. The shape would slightly differ depending on the town you came from - as would the dresses that are/were strictly regional. In Zeeland you could even see if the wearer was a Protestant or a Roman Catholic by the shape of the cap.
To complicate matters some regions (like Marken) had special bride's clogs, intricately carved.
As both my grandmothers wore the Scheveningen costume (I own them now) I've always been intrigued by and interested in all regional ones, the differences between them, the jewellery that was worn and the customs regarding the wear of it. .
What I have seen from Dutch costumes used abroad seems to be a fantasy mix of several regional ones - mostly Volendam (especially the cap with the turned up flaps) and Marken.
145791What a beautiful sight!! You must be able to smell them from quite a distance. How wonderful to be able to visit this place.
33871Sometimes taking the long view is a delicious spectacle! So glad you got to do this - and with a friend.
1 comment
by mops
15 Apr 2015
On my knees and an 18mm lens gave the long view.
Years ago I made some from a windmill, which gave a nice view as well. And coming in by plane at Schiphol Airport is a joy this time of year.
For nice pictures of the Keukenhof see http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Attract...
It is an advertising and booking site, but the pictures are beautiful.
66910Oh I can smell the wonderful aroma. My hyacinths have already bloomed. What a awesome site this is. Lucky you to be able t see this.
109774Gorgeous! I would love to see this in person and up close enough to smell!
1 comment
by mops
15 Apr 2015
As a child I lived in the Hague and we always cycled to see the bulb fields in spring. But it has been years since I'd been there and it was as impressive as ever.
173693318445You are so lucky to have such a nice view. It really makes me miss Europe, but it is nice to see it in pictures. Thanks. :)
7166such a glorious site...how marvellous to view this up close and personal...
25546Must be an amazing experience to be surrounded by all these blooms and the lovely fragrance - thanks for sharing your pictures.
6122111379Oh, how lucky you are to witness this beautiful landscape, Martine....
261163I can not imagine how wonderful this smell must be. We have about a dozen or so and the scent is just intoxicating. How lucky you are to live near there!
158716what a beautiful view, I get excited when my 3 or 4 come up.
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57492oh my! I can't wait till there in the stores here in Canada, I purchase them in bloom and have them in my home and save the bulbs and plant them in my gardens, which are about 2 inches high at the moment. I can smell these fields over here . Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures.
1 comment
by mops
15 Apr 2015
I do the same and they do well unless you buy the forced ones out of season.
Bought 30 tulips there for €5, about $5.50; told my daughter in Norway, who was quite jealous as she bought 10 for a friend for NOK145, which is $18.20
33350How wonderful Martine, I love all the flowers and I can just imagine the aroma. Love Chris
234497Wow, they are gorgeous! Fantastic photos, Martine! Thank you for sharing these pictures.
Hugs, Lidia
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148904How beautiful, visiting Holland and seeing the bulb fields in flower is one thing I would love to do one day. The perfume must be amazing
115755Oh my what a delightful sight it must have been ,I love hyacinths ,but never manage to get them to grow like this
23581Beautiful! I love the Netherlands. Thank you for showing these miles of flowers - Maria from the neighborhood :-)
1 comment
by mops
15 Apr 2015
With the nice sunny days we are having the weekend will probably the best time of the season to see them. And the busiest.
54557Oh my gosh ! What a GREAT picturesque place !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing pics !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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