Keukenhof Gardens-Lisse (Netherlands South Holland)

The Keukenhof Gardens (aka "Kitchen Garden") is one of the world's largest flower gardens. The garden park is located in Lisse (Netherlands' South Holland province) and covers a total area of 32 hectares (79 acres / 0,32 km2 / 0,12 mi2). Every year, approx 7 million flower bulbs are planted in Keukenhof.

The Keukenhof Garden is in South Holland, located southwest of Amsterdam and south of Haarlem. The park is accessible by bus from Leiden, Schiphol and Haarlem train stations. The Garden is open annually from mid-March through mid-May. The "tulip time" themed cruises are around mid-April.

The park is on hunting grounds dating back to the 15th century. It was a source of herbs for the Countess Jacqueline of Hainaut's castle. This is the source of the name "Keukenhof" - providing herbs for the castle's kitchen. After the death of the Countess, rich merchants occupied the grounds. In the 19th century, Baron and Baroness Van Pallandt entrusted the landscape architect Jan David Zocher together with his son Louis Paul Zocher, who had worked on Vondelpark, to design the grounds around the castle.

The Keukenhof Garden was established in 1949 by the mayor of Lisse. The idea was to present a flower exhibit where growers could gather from all over Europe to show off their hybrids. Keukenhof features a variety of garden styles. For example, its English Garden has winding paths and unanticipated see-through points. The Japanese Garden is non-traditional, in a natural environment. The Nature Garden is a water garden where perennials and shrubs are mixed with bulbous plants. The Historical Harden is enclosed and guests can see a lot of old types of bulbs. 

Keukenhof Gardens don't have the long fields of tulips visitors may expect. However, tulip fields are found outside the Gardens, and most are privately owned.