Tupils

Living in the province of South Holland, we're fortunate to enjoy the tulip fields each spring. Last year was far colder and thus we had a late bloom season, starting in April and ending in late May. This year is forecast to be even colder!

Most of the tulip farms in The Netherlands are located in the Noordoostpolder, in the province of Flevoland. But you'll find plenty of fields in the provinces of South Holland and North Holland, with flower bulb fields along the coast of The Hague and Leiden up to Alkmaar in the north. Of course, Keukenhof - billed as the world’s biggest flower exhibition - is a huge draw. (unfortunately, due to covid restrictions, it was closed in 2020 and had limited attendance in 2021). It's just a 15-minute drive away from Leiden and 30 minutes from Amsterdam. The Netherlands claims to produce more cut-flowers than any other country in the world and you can see the world’s biggest flower auction at FloraHolland, located in Aalsmeer, just 30 minutes by car from Amsterdam.

So yes, plenty to see in The Netherlands in April & May. We often bike through the fields each Spring!

You are in for a huge treat. Seeing tulip fields in bloom in The Netherlands is a favorite travel memory of mine.

So anxious to see the tulips in April, hoping Covid doesn’t spoil our plans, How cold and what kind of clothing will I need to have?

Severhart, what part of April? To me there is a big difference from April 1 to April 30. It also depends on where you’re from and how much cold you can tolerate.

In any event you’ll want a waterproof jacket!

Severhart, last year was cold, and this year is forecasted to be colder. Expect temps in the lower 40's to mid 50's if you're coming earlier in the month. Later on April, high 40's to high 50's... but that's really a guess based on last year.

The third week of of April is generally considered the "height" of the bloom season, but colder weather may move that, as it did last year.

I'd suggest planning your tulip forays on weekdays as the weekends - especially later in April - can be quite crowded. You can find maps and routes of the best tulip viewing options online. The Dutch tend to walk or bike through these areas.

Hondall is the best place to see tupils.

Does anyone Roofpread their posts?

Ah ah! Good one, Lee. Oops I mean ha ha!

Lee, if this misspelling causes you this much concern, why not simply send the OP - who is an inexperienced poster on the RS site - a PM suggesting they change the text... rather than using social media as a vehicle to embarrass or ridicule? As a member with 18,000+ posts, wouldn't a helping-hand be more appropriate and representative of the intended tone of the RS Forum?

Yet, this seems to be the direction that social media has gone... and it does generate support, as you already have in this thread.

My wife's a teacher, who coaches writers daily, and no doubt that she would regard this as a bullying technique.

30+ years ago, when my son was 4, we were in Walmart and he did something that caused me to lose my temper. With tears in his eyes, he looked up at me and said, "But Daddy, Big Bird says everyone makes mistakes!" How do you argue with that logic? On that day, l learned more of a lesson than my 4 year old did.

Perhaps 2022 can be a year social media heads in a new direction... it starts with us.

unfortunately, RnR, bullying from some folks here is not new.

I too, even though I do proofread everything I write, have been known to make a minor typo, and, too, have been berated by somebody who thinks they know the German language better than I do, or who knows trains better than I do.

It does get tiresome and often hurts, but over the years I have developed a thick(er) skin and just get on with things.

It is very sad for a new poster to walk into insults.

For Yogaoamer I am sorry you had to put up with this over a simple typing error. For all I know you may be dyslexic and certainly don't need it.

Yes, the Netherlands will have tulips of all types and other bulbs like Narcissus and lots of blue hyacinths in April. I see you are planning mid-April. That should be just about right. As RnR has said, the weather may play a part as to exactly what you see but I would expect if you follow a tulip map you will see plenty.

Just riding the train between Leiden (or den Haag or Rotterdam or Delft) to Haarlem by the direct route, not via the airport or Amsterdam Centraal, especially if you sit upstairs, have your head swiveling so fast left and right at the beautiful strips of colour, it will be like nothing you will have seen previously.

Other than in the shops and in people's gardens I don't remember ever seeing bulb farms where I was in Belgium. There may be some but I don't remember seeing any.

If Keukenhof - search the web and Youtube for images, the Keukenhof webpage is good - is open it is quite simply beautiful.

LOL! Sorry about the typo and thanks for the support from others who are imperfect. I did spell tulips correctly in my message - evidence that I roofpread most of the time! ;-D