I've always had a love for flowers. I admit to not being very knowledgeable about them, but I love the beauty and the sense of peace I get from being around them.

There are many great gardens around the world, but one that has been on my "bucket list" for years is Keukenhof Gardens near Lissa, Netherlands. Keukenhof is world-famous for tulips, despite that, they are not the only flower species you will see at the park; there are displays of Daffodils, Hyacinths, Crocuses, Lilies, Orchids, Irises and Anemones and other species. When visiting the garden, keep in mind that is only open to the general public from mid-March through mid-May, with peak viewing sometime around mid-April. You will also need to choose your entry time when purchasing your tickets.

My visit was on 9 April, and as I expected the weather was overcast and rainy through out the day. Fortunately, for the type of photography that I had in mind, the weather was almost perfect, although I did need to take shelter a few times when the rain came down hard.

In order to be as close to the garden as possible, I stayed at the Boutique Suites Lisse, just a short 10 minute walk from the park entrance. The hotel's location made entering the park early easier, as well as giving me the time to spend time walking in the area surrounding the gardens and visiting some of the local growers, before and after visiting the garden.

You may wonder why there is so much repetition in the various beds. The reason behind the layout, is that each of the beds highlights an individual grower; most have little signs indicating who the grower is and what the species is. Each year, around 7 million flower bulbs, are donated by over 100 bulb growers and suppliers. These growers participate in Keukenhof as a way to showcase their best flower varieties to visitors and potential buyers from all over the world.

Much of the time, I concentrated on individual sets of flowers, with the amount of foot traffic taking macro images was difficult (no room to setup a tripod), so for many of them I used a long lens (135mm).

The garden is a maze of paths, both real and Illusionary, such as the "Path of Blue" that lead you around and through the flower beds. That enhances the feeling of being surrounded by beauty in every direction.

Hyacinths – Known for their fragrant, colorful blooms, hyacinths are another common flower species in the gardens, here forming a "pathway".

Outside the Gardens

While the primary purpose of my visit was to enjoy Keukenhof Gardens, I didn't neglect to wonder around the countryside surrounding the park. One of the side excursions I took was renting an open-air, two-seater Renault Twizy and riding along a fixed route through flower fields and stopping at a flower bulb nursery for lunch.

The growers fields are private property, and while I did see tourists walking in the fields, there were clear signs indicating that it wasn't allowed, so I choose to visit the fields from the roadside.

Outside the park there were several vendors selling both plant and bulbs along the road. There was shared bike/walking path making it easy to get to on foot.

The weather was a mixed bag during my stay in Lisse, while we had periods of sunshine, it was cold and rainy most of the time. Overcast skies do make for good flower photography, although it may be uncomfortable. I was completely refreshed and excited about what I had seen and photographed during. I dream of one day returning.

All images were taken with a Nikon Z8, with either the Nikkor Z 135mm f1.8 S Plena or the Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8 S lens in April 2024.