Nederland: bloembollen

Apeldoorn, Oranjepark - spring is in the air.

The Anna Paulownapolder - 5.000 ha - was drained in 1846. Nowadays it is an important horticulture area, with among other things an important flower bulb cultivation. The polder is named after the wife of Dutch king Willem II, Anna Paulowna Romanova of Russia. The new polder became part of the municipality of Zijpe. On August 1, 1870, the polder became its own municipality, Anna Paulowna (since 2012 part of the municipality Hollands Kroon). One of the original houses in the village - a plastered neo-classical mansion dating from 1855 - was extended in 1870 when it became the office of the polder administration. The Polderhuis was given a meeting room and an office. When the water board disappeared, the Polderhuis and Poldertuin were sold to the municipality. The garden is still owned by the municipality. The Polderhuis is prvately owned and inhabited.

After the construction of the Anna Paulownapolder an office of the water board was built. This stately home is locally known as Polderhuis . In 1885 the Poldertuin (Polder Garden) around the house was designed by landscape architect Jan David Zocher jr., who also designed the well known Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the garden of Soestdijk Palace. His gardens are characterized by winding paths and water features with bridges. Polderhuis (nowadays privately owned) and Poldertuin were sold to the municipality. The garden is still owned by the municipality of Hollands Kroon, but since 2014 it is managed by a foundation. In autumn volunteers plant 220.000 flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The flower bulbs are donated by about hundred flower bulb growers in the region. Park Poldertuin with its large variety of springtime flowers like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and special bulbs and tubers is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ and can be visited free of charge. The garden is a real hidden gem and almost unknown to tourists.

After the construction of the Anna Paulownapolder an office of the water board was built in Kleine Sluis. The stately home is locally known as ‘Polderhuis’. In 1885 the ‘Poldertuin’ around the house was designed by landscape architect Jan David Zocher jr., who also designed the Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the garden of Soestdijk Palace. His gardens are characterized by winding paths and water features with bridges. ‘Polderhuis’ (nowadays privately owned) and ‘Poldertuin’ were sold to the municipality. The ‘Poldertuin’ is still owned by the (new) municipality of Hollands Kroon. Since 2014 the garden is managed by a foundation. In autumn volunteers plant about 220.000 flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The flower bulbs are donated by bulb growers from the region. The ‘Poldertuin’ with its large variety of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and special bulbs and tubers is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ and can be visited free of charge.

After the construction of the Anna Paulownapolder an office of the water board was built. This stately home is locally known as Polderhuis . In 1885 the Poldertuin (Polder Garden) around the house was designed by landscape architect Jan David Zocher jr., who also designed the well known Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the garden of Soestdijk Palace. His gardens are characterized by winding paths and water features with bridges. Polderhuis (nowadays privately owned) and Poldertuin were sold to the municipality. The garden is still owned by the municipality of Hollands Kroon, but since 2014 it is managed by a foundation. In autumn volunteers plant 220.000 flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The flower bulbs are donated by about hundred flower bulb growers in the region. The Poldertuin with its large variety of springtime flowers like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and special bulbs and tubers is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ and can be visited free of charge. The garden is a real hidden gem in the Kop van Noord-Holland and not very known to tourists.

After the construction of the Anna Paulownapolder an office of the water board was built in Kleine Sluis. The stately home is locally known as ‘Polderhuis’. In 1885 the ‘Poldertuin’ (Polder garden) around the house was designed by landscape architect Jan David Zocher jr., who also designed the Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the garden of Soestdijk Palace. ‘Polderhuis’ (nowadays privately owned) and ‘Poldertuin’ were sold to the municipality. The Poldertuin is still owned by the (new) municipality of Hollands Kroon. Since 2014 the garden is operated by a foundation. In autumn volunteers plant about 200.000 flowerbulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The ‘Poldertuin’ with its large variety of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and special bulbs and tubers is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’. Main picture: Tulip Brownie PiP’s: Poldertuin

After the construction of the Anna Paulownapolder an office of the water board was built. This stately home is locally known as Polderhuis . In 1885 the Poldertuin (Polder Garden) around the house was designed by landscape architect Jan David Zocher jr., who also designed the well known Vondelpark in Amsterdam and the garden of Soestdijk Palace. His gardens are characterized by winding paths and water features with bridges. Polderhuis (nowadays privately owned) and Poldertuin were sold to the municipality. The garden is still owned by the municipality of Hollands Kroon, but since 2014 it is managed by a foundation. In autumn volunteers plant thousands and thousands flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The flower bulbs are donated by about hundred flower bulb growers in the region. The Poldertuin with its large variety of springtime flowers like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and special bulbs and tubers is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ and can be visited free of charge. The garden is a real hidden gem and not very known to tourists.

The garden around de Polderhuis is still owned by the municipality of Hollands Kroon, but since 2014 it is managed by a foundation. Since the year of 1982 the garden is yearly trnsformed into a feast for the eyes. In autumn volunteers plant thousands and thousands flower bulbs, which are blooming between early April and mid May. The Poldertuin offers a large variety of springtime flowers like tulips (220 species), daffodils (125 speciees), hyacinths (almost 30 species) and 35 special bulbs and tubers. The garden is also called ‘Little Keukenhof’, although the comparison is not appropriate. Keukenhof is no less than 25 times bigger and just open for eight weeks a year. Poldertuin, is open all year, can be visited free of charge and is a real hidden gem and not very known to tourists.

Today the Netherlands produces billions of flower bulbs each year (of which two thirds are exported worldwide).The business of growing flower bulbs began almost 400 years ago. The first Dutch flower bulbs grew in Leiden, in the botanical garden of the university. They were planted there by Carolus Clusius, a scientist who wrote the first major book on tulips in 1592. Leiden was the first bulb region of the Netherlands, but initially the tulips did not leave Clusius's botanical garden. Only after a theft cultivation could spread. Once, the value of tulips was enormous. They were imported to the Netherlands from Turkey in the mid-16th century and gradually seized the passions of rich Dutchmen. In the Dutch Golden Age tulips became popular in paintings and festivals; tulip collecting amongst the elites became a popular pastime. In the mid-17th century, tulips were so popular that they created the first economic bubble, known as "Tulip Mania" (tulipomania). As people bought up bulbs, they became so expensive that they were used as money until the market in them crashed. But the Netherlands is still the centre for the trade of flowers and bulbs.

The Poldertuin in Anna Paulowna has become a well known name in the region. It offers a large assortment of tulips (230 species), daffodils (125 species), hyacinths (30 species) and special bulbous and tuberous plants (35 species). During springtime - early April till early May - visitors are treated to a lavish and colourful park, which can be visited free of charge.

The Poldertuin in Anna Paulowna is well known in the region. It offers a large assortment of tulips (230 species), daffodils (125 species), hyacinths (30 species) and special bulbous and tuberous plants (35 species). During springtime - early April till early May - visitors are treated to a lavish and colourful Poldertuin - also called ‘Little Keukenhof’ - which can be visited free of charge.

The Noordelijk Zandgebied is the most northern part of the province North-Holland around the villages of Anna Paulowna and Breezand. This ‘sand area’ is the largest contiguous flower bulb production area in the world. The sandy soils and maritime climate are ideal for growing bulbs. The fresh sea breeze is not attractive for insects that can infect the crop with viruses. In the region is sufficient water available for sprinkling the fields in the event of drought. Main picture: in the background the village of Anna Paulowna PiP’s: several bulb fields in the area

Pick your own bouquet of tulips - with or without a bulb. Walk with a bucket and scissors through the tulip fields and pick the color or shape you like. That is possible in the Pluktuin in Bakkum .

The ‘Beemster’ is the first so called polder in the Netherlands that was reclaimed from a lake by using windmills. The ‘Beemster Polder’ was created during the period 1609 - 1612. The clay of the polder turned out to be very fertile for growing tulips and nowadays it is one of the newest areas in the Netherlands where one can see vast bulb fields during springtime.

Bulb and Dune Region: tulips in the Netherlands.

Dune and Bulb Region (Duin- en Bollenstreek): Dutch as it can be with blooming orange tulips on one of the many fields nearby the famous 'De Keukenhof'.

Today the Netherlands produces billions of flower bulbs each year (of which two thirds are exported worldwide).The business of growing flower bulbs began almost 400 years ago. The first Dutch flower bulbs grew in Leiden, in the botanical garden of the university. They were planted there by Carolus Clusius, a scientist who wrote the first major book on tulips in 1592. Leiden was the first bulb region of the Netherlands, but initially the tulips did not leave Clusius's botanical garden. Only after a theft cultivation could spread. Once, the value of tulips was enormous. They were imported to the Netherlands from Turkey in the mid-16th century and gradually seized the passions of rich Dutchmen. In the Dutch Golden Age tulips became popular in paintings and festivals; tulip collecting amongst the elites became a popular pastime. In the mid-17th century, tulips were so popular that they created the first economic bubble, known as "Tulip Mania" (tulipomania). As people bought up bulbs, they became so expensive that they were used as money until the market in them crashed. But the Netherlands is still the centre for the trade of flowers and bulbs.

Flowering hyacinths between Schagerbrug and Callantsoog.