tulipmania
this one's for you marcia
with more than 10,000 hectares
devoted to the cultivation
of these delicate flowers,
the dutch landscape in may
is a kaleidoscope of giddy colours
as the tulips burst into life.
the bulbs were planted
in late october and early november,
and these colourful creations
are now ready to be picked
and sold as bunches
of cut flowers in florists and supermarkets.
more than three billion tulips
are grown each year and two-thirds
of the vibrant blooms are exported,
mostly to the U.S. and germany.
in the first picture,
an extraordinary 60 million tulips
can be seen coming into flower.
the fields of northern holland explode
into a colourful springtime display.
their dazzling colours are thanks to the year
in the 17th century when tulipmania
swept the globe and the most eye-catching
specimens changed hands for a small fortune.
but like a rainbow,
this colourful landscape
is a short-lived phenomenon.
when the flowers are gone,
the land will be cultivated
for a rather more mundane crop of vegetables.
go visit my parents this month, maybe next year in may.
do you want to join me ? and visit haarlem ?
happy weekend to you
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Oh yes, I would love to join you, not sure it is in the budget, but I would so like to be there!