Nature’s Art Exhibit

Hillary Clinton wears a delicate rose color with white accents. She isn’t among the most important sites here, but certainly one of the most elegant. Despite her importance she doesn’t stand out: Hillary Clinton is but one of hundreds of tulip varieties being presented here, during the height of tulip season. For these are not the halls of power, but rather the Keukenhof flower exhibition in the Netherlands. In addition to the tulips, for which the Netherlands are famous, the farm, located in the town of Lisse between the Haag and Amsterdam, presents more than 7 million flowering bulb-plants: narcissuses, hyacinths, lilies, orchids, and more. It’s one of nature’s art shows.
Despite all of the competition, the tulip remains the queen of the show. The breeders tend to give their creations illustrious sounding English names: “Dark Secret” with it’s deep red, almost black, petals. The name “Black Hero” crowns a tulip with a rich, dark violet color. “Burning Heart” has red flames decorating it’s milky white petals. And the fantastic “Dragon King” has petals in a rainbow of pastels...

[Text: Maria Büche | Photos: Wolfgang Radtke]

Database Keyword: Keukenhof