Environment
The Most Beautiful Garden in the World Has No Visitors for the First Time in Over 70 Years
Every year, a hard-working crew makes sure the garden looks perfect, including this year!
(TMU) — The Netherlands, a small piece of Europe on the north-western coast, is known for its flat landscape, canals, windmills, tulips, and bicycles. It’s also the birthplace of famous artists like Rembrandt van Meer and Vincent van Gogh.
Tulips are not native to the Netherlands but were imported from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) in the sixteenth century. The tulip became popular when Carolus Clusius wrote his first book about tulips in 1592, so popular in fact that Clusius’ garden was regularly raided and bulbs stolen. Their popularity eventually reached fever pitch and caused the first known economic bubble, known as ‘’Tulip Mania.’’ Some bulbs reached such extremely high prices that the market collapsed in 1637.
It’s in the details with these small patches of different coloured hyacinth flowers carefully places on the grass between the trees.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Keukenhof estate, which dates back to the 15th century, was a source of fruit and vegetables for the Teylingen Castle kitchen during the years 1401 through 1436. Part of the estate had a major overhaul after WWII when a group of bulb growers and exporters, in an effort to revitalize the market, were able to use the estate in 1949 to exhibit their spring-flowering bulbs. Keukenhof opened its gates to the public in the spring of 1950 with over 236,000 visitors that first year.
Sadly, this year’s 71st exhibition named ‘A World of Colours’ marks the first time since its opening that the park will not be open to visitors due to the worldwide pandemic.
My favourite area with part of the big pool on the right. Lines and shapes of tulips all pointing towards the middle.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Born and bred Dutchman, Albert Dros, a landscape photographer who loves the spring flowers of his country and photographs them often to share with the world, had wanted to photograph Keukenhof’s spring garden for a very long time. However, with millions of visitors each spring, conditions were not ideal for how he wanted to capture the gardens on film. This year, with Keukenhof’s spring garden in full bloom with no visitors to enjoy the spectacle, he realized this might be the only opportunity ever to make his dream photoshoot at Keukenhof a reality.
I really couldn’t get enough of these patches of different kind of flowers with different colours along the paths and the trees everywhere in the park.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
He said: ‘’I’ve been photographing the tulips since forever, mostly in the countryside. I photographed them from all angles you can possibly imagine, but there was one thing that I still wanted to capture one time in my life: Keukenhof without any other people. This seemed impossible, until this year’s April 2020. With the COVID-19 virus keeping everyone at home and tourists away, I knew this was my only chance of making this happen. I contacted Keukenhof explaining what I had in mind and they were so kind to let me photograph the garden for a day.’’
A sunny April had made the flowers bloom early and although photographing in strong sunlight was a challenge, Dros’s photographs definitely show that he overcame that problem and it seems, made the most of having the park to himself, strolling down the pathways with birdsong in his ears, the smell of the flowers in the air and absorbing the amazing visual rainbow of flowers every step of the way.
‘’This photo series is an initiative from myself in collaboration with Keukenhof. We aim to show the beauty of the park through these images. Too bad there’s no smell involved,’’ Dros concluded.
For more of Albert Dros’ work, check out: albertdros.com | Instagram | Facebook | flickr.com
With no people around these zig zag paths become visible showing the attention to detail in the lay out of the garden.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
The empty square in front of the famous Keukenhof windmill looks so serene.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
The Red & Yellow carpet of tulips as seen from a drone perspective from about 10 meters up.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
In Keukenhof you can find a bunch of classic Dutch bridges. This is one of them right at the entrance, surrounded by a sea of colourful tulips.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Portrait oriented image of the empty square in front of the famous windmill. The miller was so kind to put the windmill in the correct position for the photograph.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Low angle perspective of a rare species of tulips that I had not seen before.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
The world famous ‘Blue River.’ A road of blue grape hyacinths zigzagging through the trees.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Did I mention attention to detail? From the ground I didn’t even see this, but when I flew my drone a few meters up it appeared that these were planted in the shape of a tulip flower!
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Seas of tulips around my favourite area of the park: The pool with the fountain in the middle.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Lines and lines of tulips, hyacinths and narcissus flowers in between the trees.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
I love to photograph dreamy portraits of flowers, and the Keukenhof is perfect for that with its many different kinds of flowers.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
My favourite places in the Keukenhof are the pools. Seeing the water reflecting the trees and flowers gives such a calm…
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
In some parts of the park you can find endless seas of different coloured tulips that together make a beautiful abstract color palette.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
The little paths make harmony with the trees and different flowers all around them.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
An image of the white bridge near the entrance of the park showing the scale of a hill with thousands of tulips that can be seen in front of it.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
A low angle perspective in the part of the park that I’d like to call ‘cherry blossom garden’ where you can find dozens of cherry blossoms combined with tulips. Did I mention the smell!?
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
A high key portrait of the Fritillaria Imperialis flower. One of my favourite flowers of the park.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Zig zag lines of flowers, water and paths almost looks like these scenes are dancing.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Attention to great detail of lines and shapes in which the flowers are planted is signature design of The Keukenhof. I…
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Dare to be different. A white tulip with a red leaf standing out in the lot, with a viewpoint on the tulip fields in the background.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
A portrait image of a grape hyacinth.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Real summer vibes with green trees, blue sky, and circular shapes of tulips. It’s only spring, but this image already reminds me of summer.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
I love how you can see these lines and shapes of tulips in the park.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Sun peaking through the trees in the afternoon, with the lines and paths of flowers making harmony with each other.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
One of my favourite little scenes in the park: A Japanese cherry blossom tree with a beautiful shape with a path through flowers leading up to it. It looks like a scene out of a fairytale.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
See through along the walking bridges in the park with cherry blossoms on top.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
Water reflecting the beauty of the trees and flowers.
Posted by Albert Dros Photography on Monday, April 27, 2020
By Jade Small | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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