We head to Lisse, Holland where Keukenhof Gardens is busy preparing for spring. Some seven million bulbs will be blooming in the 32-hectare park, and a series of breathtaking indoor exhibitions will be organized, too. Year after year, Keukenhof inspires nature lovers and gardening enthusiasts who flock to see the latest in garden trends, demonstrations, the park’s Japanese garden and English landscape garden, century-old trees, ponds and works of art. Children can follow the exciting ‘Bollebozen Route’ (an educational adventure trail that teaches them about flower bulbs), explore a maze, visit the petting zoo, and enjoy the playground.

Keukenhof has not always been the beautiful estate that we know today. In the 15th century, the area was part of the enormous estate belonging to the castle of Slot Teylingen. This was ruled from 1401 to 1436 by the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beieren. She used part of her estate as a herb and vegetable garden. Here, every day, the countess personally gathered the fresh ingredients for her kitchen. It is to this that the present Keukenhof, which literally means Kitchen Garden, owes its name. In 1840, the celebrated garden and landscape architects 'Zocher & Son' were commissioned to develop the park. In the years following, the Keukenhof Estate was further developed into the present park. In 1949, the then mayor of Lisse, Mr. W.J.H. Lambooy, together with ten leading bulb-growers conceived the idea of a permanent annual open-air flower exhibition on the Keukenhof Estate.  We join more than 900,000 people who will visit this gorgeous site this year.

Let the gorgeous blooms of Keukenhof Gardens inspire your scrapbooking this month!