By MOLLY QUELL and MICHELE NOVAGA
LISSE, Netherlands (AP) — Nestled among tulip fields not far from Amsterdam, the world-famous Keukenhof garden has opened for the spring, welcoming camera-wielding visitors to its increasingly selfie-friendly grounds.
On a sunny day, the paths, park benches and cafes are crowded with tourists taking photos and selfies with one of the Netherlands’ most iconic products — the tulip. Those kinds of pics, posted on social media, are what drew Austrian lawyer Daniel Magnus.
“Whenever you see the kind of pictures which were taken from an influencer, they make something with you. You get a new impression of new locations, traditions, people and so on …. You want also to be there,” Magnus told The Associated Press.
Magnus had just finished taking his own photos on a small boat, staged in one of the park’s canals for visitors to take their own Instagrammable images.
Staff plant and nurture a staggering 7 million flower bulbs to ensure visitors who flock to the Keukenhof from around the world all get to see a vibrant spectacle during the just eight weeks the garden is open.
In recent years, the garden has increasingly catered to the public’s thirst for social media content and created spaces where guests are encouraged to pose.
Selfie spots include flower archways, pink velvet couches and another Dutch classic – oversized wooden clogs.
The Keukenhof’s own social media channels have some suggestions about the best locations and the Dutch tourism board even advises on how to get the perfect tulip selfie.
“Make your image come alive and place the subject of your photo slightly off-centre. This will make your photo look more dynamic,” the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions says.
The Keukenhof garden’s more than 1 million expected visitors don’t need too much encouragement to snap pics among the tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and myriad other flowers. The blossoms are meticulously handplanted throughout its manicured lawns by a small army of gardeners.
“There’s always something blooming. I think that’s the reason why everyone is happy. There’s also always something to see,” gardener Patrick van Dijk told the AP.
Not everyone is always happy with tourists taking photos. Some flower farmers have put up signs and barriers to deter aspiring influencers from trampling tulips in nearby fields.
Italian tulips
Tulip fields have started becoming a popular draw elsewhere in Europe. Dutchman Edwin Koeman, who comes from a family of tulip bulb traders, started growing the flowers after moving to an area north of Milan with his family.
“The land here is good. It’s more the climate which is very different to Holland,” Koeman said in an interview on his field in the small Italian town of Arese. “Here, the winter is a bit shorter, we have more sunshine. But for our work, it’s good because it rains just enough in the winter and in the spring. And now in the spring, most of the time it’s sunny, so people like to come to our field.”
Last year, his field had a record of 50,000 visitors, many enjoying the chance to pick tulips themselves to fill their baskets. They’ve started arriving this year and, on April 1, Viola Guidi was among those picking through Koeman’s field.
“Every year I come here together with my friends, even several times,” she said. “Usually we have to hurry, because the best flowers are all picked within a few weeks. We managed to come close to the opening, a week later. This time it worked out really well for me. It’s beautiful.”
Italy grows 43 million tulips, exporting almost one-third of them, according to Nada Forbici, national coordinator of the Coldiretti floriculture council. Exports are aimed mainly at northern Europe, especially Netherlands, she said.
Novaga reported from Arese, Italy.
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