Spring has sprung, and tulip mania is once again attracting social media trendsetters to the Netherlands’ world-famous garden to see them. Around 7 million tulips are expected to bloom at the Keukenhof Gardens, creating a kaleidoscope of color to brighten up social media feeds.
The Dutch have been dazzled by these tulips since they were first imported to the Netherlands from Central Asia in the 17th century.
The Keukenhof is the perfect spot, with specially created giant clogs, floral archways, and pink velvet couches for people to pose and pout. They’re trending on social media websites, attracting visitors like Austrian lawyer Daniel Magnus.
“Whenever you see the kind of pictures which were taken from an influencer, they make something (an impression) with you right. You get a new impression of new locations, traditions, people and so it is very nice, they are inspiring you, … and that makes you, yeah, you want also to be there,” says Magnus.
These blooms are carefully nurtured by gardeners here. The Keukenhof says well over a million visitors make their way here to see the 7 million bulbs that have been planted. The garden is only open for eight weeks, so everyone knows there’s a small window of opportunity for social media snappers.
Gardener Patrick van Dijk says, “The tulips, it’s a combination of everything. The blossom, the blossom trees, primroses, the magnolia trees there’s always something blooming. I think that’s the reason why everybody’s coming, there’s also always something to see.”
“It’s a very good representation because we’ve been doing this since 1700, and since then it’s been an iconic flower for the Netherlands. If you say the Netherlands, you say tulips,” says van Dijk.
The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Convention encourages visitors by saying, “Make your image come alive and place the subject of your photo slightly off-center. This will make your photo look more dynamic.”
But not everyone is always happy with tourists taking photos.
Some flower farmers have put up signs and barriers to deter aspiring influencers from trampling tulips in nearby fields.
This article and video were provided by The Associated Press.
[Tulips on display in Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse]
[Visitors looking at tulips]
[Tulips]
[Visitors]
[Tulips and a visitor posing for a photo]
[Tulips with visitors in the background]
[Visitors taking photos with their smartphones]
[Visitor Daniel Magnus taking a photo of his friends sitting and posing]
[Phone screen showing photos being taken]
[Magnus posing with his friends for a photo]
Daniel Magnus (interview): “Whenever you see the kind of pictures which were taken from an influencer, they make something (an impression) with you right. You get a new impression of new locations, traditions, people and so it is very nice, they are inspiring you, right, you see a lot of nice people, nice places and that makes you, yeah, you want also to be there.”
[Windmill and visitors]
[Visitors by the windmill]
[Visitor taking a photo with her mobile phone]
[Red tulips]
Daniel Magnus (interview): “I was two years ago here, it was quite impressionist and I liked it very much. It’s very nice and beautiful garden here and it’s very famous all over the world and that’s why we said yes, from Germany to here it’s not that far away let’s come and visit it.”
[Keukenhof gardener, Patrick van Dijk weeding amid the tulips]
Patrick van Dijk (interview): “The Tulips, it’s a combination of everything. The blossom, the blossom trees, primroses, the magnolia trees there’s always something blooming. I think that’s the reason why everybody’s coming, there’s also always something to see.”
[Tulips]
[Visitors taking photos and selfies with their smartphones]
[Tulips with visitors passing in the background]
[Tulip]
Patrick van Dijk (interview): “It’s a very good representation because we’ve been doing this since 1700, and since then it’s been an iconic flower for the Netherlands. If you say the Netherlands, you say tulips.”
[Flowers and visitors]
[Daffodils]
[Keukenhof Gardens]
This script was provided by The Associated Press.