Tulip fields

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April/May- Tulips in Amsterdam

Every year millions of tulips are blooming in and around Amsterdam. The tulip season in Holland marks the beginning of spring. The colorful flowers and the rising temperatures make many people from all over the world happy but this year with covid travel restrictions virtually viewing these beautiful field# was the only way to enjoy them.

Stephan was the guide and his camera skills to ensure that we see close up to all the different varieties was wonderful.

His knowledge about the tulip cultivation was really interesting to listen to as we tip toed through the tulips.

The Dutch have cultivated an almost unrivalled amounts of flowers for centuries and currently produce around three billion tulips bulbs every year. These flowers were introduced to the Netherlands during the mid-16th century and gradually perfected into a highly marketable commodity.

Tulips actually originated in the Middle East and only started appearing in western Europe after the end of the Medieval period. Historical sources suggest that famed Dutch gardener Carole’s Clausius was the first European to fully recognise their potential. He began planting specialised tulip nurseries around the time he became the director of the University of Leiden’s botanical gardens, in 1593.

By the early 17th century, tulip breeding had developed into a highly profitable commercial sector and the price of Dutch bulbs rapidly skyrocketed. This boom eventually led to an economic crisis in 1636, known as Tulip Mania where the value of tulip bulbs suddenly collapsed, consequently bankrupting countless investors, cultivators and traders.

Fortunately, the Dutch market survived this period and the tulip trade eventually stabilised, despite devastating economic losses that largely went uncompensated.

The tulips in these fields, for growing high-quality flower bulbs, it is necessary to remove the flower as soon as it is in full bloom. In this way, the energy from the tulip no longer goes to the flower, but that energy flows back to the flower bulb, which in this way can grow and multiply better.

Every year, nature determines how the tulips grow on the flower fields. At an early and warm spring, the tulips flower earlier and the flowers are removed earlier by the farmers. On average, farmers start removing flowers at the end of April / beginning of May.

The tulip fields and all have been so cheerful & colourful.http://www.heygo.com

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