Sara's Blog

Thanks everyone for making our May Week of Webisodes such a success! While I’m sad today is the last day, never fear if you missed a segment…they’re all stored in the Webisode Archive so you can watch them whenever you like!

In the meantime, Keith and I have had guests this week from the States—friends from college who’ve never been to Amsterdam. On Tuesday we made it to Keukenhof, the famous flower garden. Perfect timing, as it’s only open from March through May. Keith and I had never been, even in our two years of living in the Netherlands…it’s sort of like when we lived in Portland and rarely visited Multnomah Falls unless someone came to visit from out of town!

I’m so, so, so glad we went. It’s truly amazing—gorgeously planned acres of garden with tulips, lilies, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths, plus sculptures, greenhouses, lakes and pretty cafes. There’s even a windmill! And despite it being one of the busiest tourist spots in the Netherlands, it’s wide open with meandering paths and doesn’t feel crowded at all.

Oh, and the color combinations are to die for. It’s said that top horticulturists from the Netherlands plant about 7 million bulbs! I’ve never seen so many varieties of tulips, and so carefully arranged to maximize the range of colors and styles. If I ever needed a dose of creative inspiration, this was definitely it. Enjoy the photos…just a few of the many I took—none of which do justice to the gardens at all!