At Holland's Keukenhof, they call it the lasagna method. Late-flowering tulips form the bottom layer. Next come mid-flowering ones, with early-bloomers closest to the surface. The lasagna method assures a continuous display of blooms during the nine weeks -- mid March to mid May -- that Keukenhof is open.
It requires a lot of bulbs -- 7 million each year -- all planted by hand. It's estimated each planter averages 140,000 bulbs per day, more than enough to make any weekend gardener's knees ache in sympathy. Of the 7 million, 4.5 million are tulips, Holland's most famous export. The rest mainly daffodils, hyacinth and crocus.
All are supplied by commercial bulb exporters, for whom the 32-hectare park near Amsterdam is a showcase.
What happens to the old bulbs? They're destroyed. Seems like a terrible waste, but Keukenhof staff say it's because growers want to display their newest varieties.
Several growers have kiosks where you can place an order. You can't take tulip bulbs with you -- it's the wrong season -- but there are lots of summer-flowering bulbs.
Keukenhof -- which means kitchen garden -- is much more than tulips. It's a lovely park, with ponds, fountains and meandering paths.
A recently renewed part of the park called the Bloemenbos is the setting for Ribbons of Flowers, 2-metre-wide borders planted with combinations of bulbs, perennials and early-flowering shrubs. It also contains seven "inspiration gardens'' that provide ideas for your own spaces.
Keukenhof may or may not be the most-photographed place in the world, a claim its promoters make, but I defy anyone carrying a camera to ignore a huge display called The River. Muscari Armeniacum (grape hyacinth) represent the water, and, in 2008 at least, they were bordered by Red Riding Hood tulips and white narcissi.
There are also permanent exhibition buildings for demonstrations and for shows in which points are awarded. I lusted after a tulip called White Heaven that scored more than 9 out of a perfect 10.
Competitions are also held for other perennials, including carnations, irises, and flowering shrubs such as viburnum and forsythia. A show on the 2008 calendar was described as the largest lily show in the world.
Most visitors content themselves with strolling the grounds. But there are tours available on old, flat-bottomed "whisper'' boats that pass fields where many of Keukenhof's flowers are cultivated.
Keukenhof is only 27 km from Amsterdam, from which half-day and full-day tours are available. You can also take public transit: Shuttle bus No. 58 travels between Schiphol train station and Keukenhof every 15 minutes.
Schiphol station, underneath Amsterdam's airport, is only 20 minutes from Amsterdam's central rail station. It can be reached directly by train from almost every city in the Netherlands and by international trains from Paris, Berlin and Brussels. Air travellers in transit who have a long enough layover at Schiphol Airport can do a tour to Keukenhof right from there. Visit keukenhof.nl or amsterdamtourist.nl.
Near Amsterdam, Keukenhof, left and below, is much more than a spring garden. It's also a lovely park, with ponds, fountains, meandering paths and special exhibitions.
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