Flower bulb cultivation in the Netherlands
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Flower bulb cultivation is an economic activity in the provinces of
North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...
,
South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...
and
Flevoland Flevoland () is the twelfth and youngest province of the Netherlands, established in 1986, when the southern and eastern Flevopolders, together with the Noordoostpolder, were merged into one provincial entity. It is in the centre of the countr ...
. The colourful flower fields that have come to symbolise Holland can be seen in these areas around April.This is a translation of part of the article on "Bollenstreek" in the Dutch version of Wikipedia, with some amendments. The Dutch article itself has no footnotes.


South Holland

* The ''
Bollenstreek The Duin- en Bollenstreek (; Dutch for "Dune and Bulb Region") is a region in the Western Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland nearby the city of Leiden, South Ho ...
'' () extends from
Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
to
Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
. It straddles southern
North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...
and northern
South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...
. This area, which includes
Keukenhof Keukenhof (English: "Kitchen garden"; ), also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world's largest flower gardens, situated in the municipality of Lisse, in the Netherlands. According to the official website, Keukenhof Park covers an area ...
flower garden, is the best known flower region. * There are a few flower fields in the area south of Leiden (
Wassenaar Wassenaar (; population: in ) is a municipality and town located in the province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands. An affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies north of that city on the N44/A44 highway near the Nort ...
and
Voorschoten Voorschoten () is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of of whi ...
) * There are a few flower fields on the South Holland islands of
Voorne-Putten Voorne-Putten is an island between the North Sea, the Brielse Meer and the rivers Oude Maas, Spui and Haringvliet in the province of South Holland. Voorne-Putten consists of the two former islands Voorne (the larger, western part) and Putten ...
and
Goeree-Overflakkee Goeree-Overflakkee () is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is separated from Voorne-Putten and Hoeksche Waard by the Haringvliet, from the mainland of North Brabant by the Volkerak, and from Schouwen ...
. These fields are found in the sandy clay ground behind the dunes.


North Holland

* Flower bulb cultivation takes place in
Kennemerland Kennemerland is a coastal region in the northwestern Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It includes the sand dunes north of the North Sea Canal, as well as the dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. History Kennemerland gets its ...
in
North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...
. The area extends roughly from the
Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
area (including villages to the south and west of
Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
) to
Petten Petten is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Schagen, and lies about 15 km northwest of Alkmaar, on the North Sea. The population is ca. 1900. Petten's economy is based on agriculture (bul ...
(northwest of
Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...
). Wealthy merchants from
Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
and
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
introduced the cultivation of flower bulbs on a small scale basis in the sandy soil located close to the dunes in the 16th century. After the
Tulip Mania Tulip mania ( nl, tulpenmanie) was a period during the Dutch Golden Age when contract prices for some bulbs of the recently introduced and fashionable tulip reached extraordinarily high levels. The major acceleration started in 1634 and then ...
crash of 1637,
floriculture Floriculture, or flower farming, is a branch of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry. The development of new varieties by plant breeding is ...
strongly declined. Unlike in the
Duin- en Bollenstreek The Duin- en Bollenstreek (; Dutch for "Dune and Bulb Region") is a region in the Western Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland nearby the city of Leiden, South H ...
to the south, Kennemerland was not—despite the broad dune area south of
Castricum Castricum () is a municipality and a town in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. Castricum is a seaside town in the province of North Holland. It draws in a fair share of tourists who mainly come to visit the beach and nearby dune ...
—extensively cultivated for this purpose. In the 19th century the area had been earmarked for preservation of the Amsterdam water supply (''Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen'') and as a location for the national steel company (''
Koninklijke Hoogovens Koninklijke Hoogovens known as Koninklijke Nederlandse Hoogovens en Staalfabrieken (KNHS) until 1996 or informally Hoogovens. was a Dutch steel producer founded in 1918. Since 2010, the plant is named Tata Steel IJmuiden. The IJmuiden steelwor ...
''). * A region with bulb cultivation is the area around
Breezand Breezand is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Hollands Kroon, which is known for its flower bulbs, and lies about 7 km southeast of Den Helder. Overview The village was first mentioned in ...
in the north of
North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...
. This area also did not develop as extensively as the
Duin- en Bollenstreek The Duin- en Bollenstreek (; Dutch for "Dune and Bulb Region") is a region in the Western Netherlands, that features coastal dunes and the cultivation of flower bulbs. Situated at the heart of historical Holland nearby the city of Leiden, South H ...
to the south. The soil was not as ideal and some of the bulb farmers left to work in the more developed area in the south. * Each year in January, the
National Tulip Day National Tulip Day (Dutch: Nationale Tulpendag) is an annual event in January that preludes the tulip season in the Netherlands. The event has been held on the Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam since 2012. During this day a special garden of 20 ...
is being organized on the
Dam Square Dam Square or the Dam () is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the best-known and most important locations in the city and the country. Location and description ...
in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
.


Flevoland

Some of the largest bulb fields can be found in the
Noordoostpolder Noordoostpolder (; en, "North-East Polder") is a polder and municipality in the Flevoland province in the central Netherlands. Formerly, it was also called '' Urker Land''. Emmeloord is the administrative center, located in the heart of the Noord ...
. The Tulipsfestival (
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
: Het Tulpenfestival) is an annual event, that celebrates the flowering of the colorful tulips.


Towns and villages

Towns and villages in the various parts of the Bulb Region: *
Aerdenhout Aerdenhout () is a village in the municipality of Bloemendaal, Netherlands. Located in the dunes between Haarlem and the beach town of Zandvoort, it ranks as the wealthiest town in the Netherlands. The name "Aerdenhout" means ''Andere hout'', Du ...
*
Avenhorn Avenhorn is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about 9 km west of Hoorn. History The village was first mentioned around 1312 as Lutekedrecht. The current name means "c ...
*
Bant Bant is one of the so-called green villages ''(Dutch: groendorpen)'' in the Dutch province of Flevoland. It is a part of the municipality of Noordoostpolder, and lies about 7 km north of Emmeloord. Name The name Bant is derived from the ...
*
Bennebroek Bennebroek () is a village and former municipality in the northwest Netherlands, now part of Bloemendaal, North Holland. Before its merger, it was the smallest municipality in the Netherlands, covering an area of only 1.75 km². History Ben ...
*
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
*
Beverwijk Beverwijk () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast. A ...
*
Bloemendaal Bloemendaal () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Bloemendaal is, together with Wassenaar, the wealthiest place in the Netherlands. In October 2015, after persistent problems with the local governa ...
*
Breezand Breezand is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Hollands Kroon, which is known for its flower bulbs, and lies about 7 km southeast of Den Helder. Overview The village was first mentioned in ...
*
Castricum Castricum () is a municipality and a town in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. Castricum is a seaside town in the province of North Holland. It draws in a fair share of tourists who mainly come to visit the beach and nearby dune ...
*
Creil Creil is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. The Creil station is an important railway junction. History Archaeological remains in the area include a Neolithic site as well as a late Iron Age necropolis, perhaps belonging to ...
* De Engel *
De Goorn De Goorn is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about 9 km west of Hoorn. The village was first mentioned around 1312 as "den Gore", and means "swampy forest ground". De ...
* De
Kaag Kaag is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Kaag en Braassem, and lies about northeast of Leiden. The village of Kaag lies on an island called Kagereiland in the Kager Lakes (Kagerplassen). To re ...
* De Zilk *
Dronten Dronten () is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Flevoland. It had a population of in . History Plans for the municipality of Dronten were made in the early half of the 1950s; real plans for the town of Dr ...
* Egmond *
Espel Espel is one of the so-called green villages ''(Dutch: groendorpen)'' in the Dutch province of Flevoland. It lies in the municipality of Noordoostpolder next to a crossroads where provincial road N712 from Urk to Lemmer intersects with road N714 t ...
*
Groet Groet is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, North Holland, Bergen, and lies about 11 km northwest of Alkmaar. History The village was first mentioned between 1130 and 1 ...
*
Heemstede Heemstede () is a town and a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the fourth richest municipality of the Netherlands. History Heemstede formed around the Castle ''Heemstede'' that was built overlooking the ...
*
Heemskerk Heemskerk () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located in the Kennemerland region. Local government As of March 2022, the municipal council of Heemskerk consists of 25 seats, which are divide ...
*
Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
*
Hillegom Hillegom () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Hillegom is part of an area called the Duin- en Bollenstreek ("Dune and Bulb Region"). As such, a large portion of the local economy was tradition ...
*
IJmuiden IJ_(digraph).html" ;"title="n IJ (digraph)">n IJ (digraph) and that should remain the only places where they are used. > IJmuiden () is a port city in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is the main town in the municipality ...
*
Julianadorp Julianadorp, is a town in North Holland, Netherlands. It is part of the municipality of Den Helder. It lies about 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) south of the town of Den Helder, north of the municipality of Schagen and west of Hollands Kroon. ...
*
Katwijk Katwijk (), also spelled Katwyk, is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland, which is situated in the mid-western part of the Netherlands. The Oude Rijn ("Old Rhine") river flows through the town and into the North Se ...
*
Keukenhof Keukenhof (English: "Kitchen garden"; ), also known as the Garden of Europe, is one of the world's largest flower gardens, situated in the municipality of Lisse, in the Netherlands. According to the official website, Keukenhof Park covers an area ...
* Langevelderslag *
Lisse Lisse () is a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Western Netherlands. The municipality, which lies within the Duin- en Bollenstreek, covers an area of of which is water. Its population was in . Located within the muni ...
*
Lisserbroek Lisserbroek is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, and lies about 10 km southwest of Hoofddorp. It is located along the Ringvaart opposite the town of Lisse in the area called t ...
*
Luttelgeest Luttelgeest is a village in the Dutch province of Flevoland. It is a part of the municipality of Noordoostpolder, and was created in 1950 as one of ten planned villages around the new city of Emmeloord. Name Luttelgeest is named after a no long ...
*
Noordwijk Noordwijk () is a town and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water and had a population of in . On 1 January 2019, the former municipality of Noordwij ...
*
Noordwijkerhout Noordwijkerhout () is a town and former municipality in the western part of the Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The town is currently part of the municipality of Noordwijk and lies in the bulb-growing region (the Duin- en Bollenstree ...
*
Obdam Obdam () is a village and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. The municipality ceased to exist on 1 January 2007 when it merged with Wester-Koggenland to form the new municipa ...
*
Oegstgeest Oegstgeest () is a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. Its population was in . Etymology The portion ''geest'' in the name refers to the geest lands, which were excavated in the seventeenth cent ...
*
Overveen Overveen is a village in North Holland in the Netherlands, in the municipality of Bloemendaal. Overveen lies on the eastern fringe of the North Sea dunes. To the east it borders the built-up areas of Haarlem. A few kilometres to the west of the ...
* Piet Gijsenbrug *
Roosendaal Roosendaal () is both a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Towns/villages of the municipality * Roosendaal (population: 66,760) * Wouw (4,920) * Heerle (1, ...
* Ruigenhoek * Rutten *
Schermerhorn Schermerhorn is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Alkmaar, and lies about 9 km south of Heerhugowaard. History The village was first mentioned in the 14th century as Den Horn, and mean ...
*
Sassenheim Sassenheim () is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality covered an area of 6.62 km² (of which 0.23 km² water) and had a population of 14,906 in 2005. Since ...
*
Schoorl Schoorl is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, North Holland, Bergen, and lies about 8 km northwest of Alkmaar. Until 2001, Schoorl was also a municipality of its own. Sch ...
*
Spierdijk Spierdijk is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about east of Alkmaar. The village was first mentioned in 1365 as Spierdijck, and is a combination a long reed stick and dik ...
*
Swifterbant Swifterbant () is a town in the Dutch province of Flevoland. It is a part of the municipality of Dronten, and lies about 13 km northeast of Lelystad. On 1 January 2014, Swifterbant had 6475 inhabitants.Teylingen Teylingen () is a municipality in the Western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It was created on 1 January 2006, through the amalgamation of Sassenheim, Voorhout and Warmond. It is named after Teylingen Castle, located in Voorhout. In ...
*
Tollebeek Tollebeek is a village in the Dutch province of Flevoland. It is a part of the municipality of Noordoostpolder, and is approximately 90 kilometres north east of Amsterdam. Tollebeek is one of ten villages in the Noordoostpolder (literally: Nort ...
*
Uitgeest Uitgeest () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Population centres The municipality of Uitgeest consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Topography ''Dutch topograp ...
*
Ursem Ursem is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Koggenland, and lies about east of Alkmaar and north of Amsterdam and west from Hoorn. A part of the village is located in the municipali ...
*
Velsen Velsen () is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located on both sides of the North Sea Canal. On the north side of the North Sea Canal there is a major steel plant, Tata Steel IJmuiden, formerly known a ...
*
Velserbroek Velserbroek is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Velsen. Velserbroek is planned town for the Velsen region and was developed from 1985 onwards. Notable residents *Linda Bolder Linda Bolder (Heb ...
*
Vogelenzang Vogelenzang is a village in the municipality of Bloemendaal, North Holland, Netherlands. The name "Vogelenzang" is Dutch for " bird song". Attractions The ''Huis te Vogelenzang'' (House at Vogelenzang) was built circa 1600 by the Counts of Holla ...
*
Voorhout Voorhout () is a village and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality covered an area of 12.59 km2 (4.86 mile²) of which 0.33 km2 (0.13 mile²) is covered by water, and ...
*
Voorschoten Voorschoten () is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of of whi ...
*
Warmond Warmond () is a village and former municipality in the Western Netherlands, north of Leiden in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of 14.42 km² (5.57 mile², 30.7%) of which 4.42 km² (1.71 mile²) is water; ...
*
Wassenaar Wassenaar (; population: in ) is a municipality and town located in the province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands. An affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies north of that city on the N44/A44 highway near the Nort ...
*
Wijk aan Zee Wijk aan Zee ( literally ''Neighborhood at Sea'') is a village on the coast of the North Sea in the municipality of Beverwijk, the province of North Holland of the Netherlands. The prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament (formerly called the Coru ...
*
Zandvoort Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...


References

{{reflist Agriculture in the Netherlands Economy of the Netherlands Geography of Flevoland Geography of North Holland Geography of South Holland Articles containing video clips