Kuekenhof

Sorry the gardens are only open for a few months from Late march until the end of May:)

It closes mid-May, so your question is, I'm afraid, already been answered by the Keukenhof.
As an alternative, you might like the botanical gardens in Amsterdam itself, almost 400 years strong: http://dehortus.nl/en/home or the more formal baroque gardens of the Het Loo Palace: https://www.paleishetloo.nl/en/#2015-11-01 (train to Apeldoorn takes about 1 hr from Amsterdam Centraal station).

Thank you for the other suggestions. I will look into them. :)
One of your videos had a flower warehouse tour, where is that located?

Thank you for the other suggestions. I will look into them. :)
One of your videos had a flower warehouse tour, where is that located?

marcy

your last question here makes it sound like you think you have reached the staff at Rick Steves Europe.

While they come to visit from time to time, almost everybody here is a fellow traveler like you, just with a few (or more or less) years of experience in European travel. Some of us specialise in various areas or just one; some have some pretty comprehensive knowledge.

You can tell if a post has been made by a staffer when the RS button appears next to their name.

I think you are talking about the flower market at Aalsmeer. Details are in the Rick Steves book. You need to be out of bed early to enjoy it as it finishes early in the day, and is planning to finish even earlier. The website is at https://www.floraholland.com/en/about-floraholland/visit-the-flower-auction/

I didn't understand the question, and Nigel has given the answer.

The flower auction (very near the Amsterdam airport) is well worth the early wakeup. In truth, you don't get within 5 meters of the flowers, but the very long industrial viewing balcony is a terrific viewpoint. There's a cafeteria to make a full half-day of it if you want. We happened to have a car, and did it on the way somewhere (free parking) but I'm sure their website tells how to do it by public transportation. I think they have provisions for the handicapped, but there's a lot of walking involved, and it's harder to see over the railing from a wheelchair.

Keep an eye on the website, because newspapers suggest that the days of this auction (in the same way that almost nothing actually happens on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange anymore .. ) are numbered. It's quite a spectacle, and we enjoyed it, even though we liked Keukenhof better. Since many of the flowers at the auction are imported from Africa and South America, the volume of flowers is less affected by the time of year, unlike Keukenhof, and outdoor garden/park focusing on bulbs, but including other plants.

Thanks for all your help