Tuesday, May 10, 2011

In Bloom - The Netherlands, from The Daily Mail UK

Tens of thousands of tourists have flocked to catch a glimpse of these spectacular quilted farmlands before they are cut and sold to florists and supermarkets around the world.



More than three billion tulips are grown each year and two-thirds of the vibrant blooms are exported, mostly to the U.S. and Germany. 
The tulip season begins in March and lasts until August with several shows held across the country, but the flowers are undoubtedly at their most spectacular at this time of year.
The cultivation of flower bulbs began more than 400 years ago and today Holland produces more than nine billion bulbs every year, of which two thirds are exported overseas.

But like a rainbow, this colorful landscape is a short-lived phenomenon.
When the flowers are gone, the land will be cultivated for a rather more mundane crop of vegetables.


Read more: The Dutch Tulip Fields

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