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Bulbs in Holland
The Netherlands is well known for its flowers, wind mills and dikes. The bulb fields in the provinces of North and South Holland are at their most beautiful in April and May, when tulips, narcissus and hyacinths are in bloom. The Netherlands produces 55 percent of the world's commercially-grown flowers. However, the Netherlands exports more than 80 per cent of the world production.
The cultivation of flower bulbs for commercial purposes started in Haarlem and the surrounding area about 400 years ago. Later, the cultivation spread to the north and more especially to the south. The area between Haarlem and Leiden eventually became known as 'De zuidelijke bollenstreek' - the bulb district. For many years, a large part of the population earned their living from bulbs, whether in nurseries, export, or in industries that supplied the sector. The town of Lisse, regarded itself as the centre of the bulb-growing area, boasted a postmark that declared: "Lisse, the centre of the bulb district De Bollenstreek ".
Alongside this bulb-growing district, a second one developed during World War I in the most northern area of the province of North-Holland, the Anna Paulowna Polder. Initially it was the large nursery-export companies who purchased land here, for a much lower price than they had to pay in the bulb-growing district. After World War II, there was a massive expansion in the cultivation of flower bulbs here. After 1945, a new centre emerged in the Noordoostpolder (the North-East Polder), where mainly tulips, gladiolus and lilies are cultivated.
Most of the flower bulbs are strikingly decorative in the garden and parks because of their bright, clear colours. Others are conspicuous for their special flower shape, scent and other qualities. Because the Dutch, in particular, have been so involved in the importing, developing and hybridising of the currently recognized species, more attention will be given to these topics. The hardy bulbous plants are usually planted in the autumn and then bloom the following spring, early in the summer or mid-summer. The non-hardy ones are planted in spring and bloom during the summer or autumn.
