For the next eight weeks, over 1.4 million people from around the world are expected to visit the exhibition, which not surprisingly is an important calendar event for the Dutch tourist and flower sectors.
Keukenhof is the independent international showcase for the Dutch floriculture sector with an emphasis on flower bulbs. 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the exhibition which promises to be a festive event, providing visitors with various activities and attractions. The original idea of an exhibition to showcase the flower bulb trade came from a group of bulb growers and exporters in 1949.
A platform for the Dutch floriculture sector, the exhibition provides growers and suppliers to showcase their wares to a global audience, set against the backdrop of the historic Keukenhof estate with 1641 castle and vast gardens. A reported 600 growers and trading companies supply the show with flowers and plants.
There are 40 Keukenhof gardeners, whom annually plant the 7 million flower bulbs for the exhibition, throughout the 32 ha park. When the season is over, all the bulbs are dug up enabling the cycle of autumn planting, spring flowering and summer to start anew. To ensure each of the famed Keukenhof exhibitions are unique, new designs are created every year incorporating over 1,600 varieties of bulbs, of which 800 are tulips.
Keukenhof facts & figures
- In 2023, Keukenhof welcomed 1.4 million visitors of whom 80% originated abroad
- The park is 32 hectares in size and the entire estate, including the castle covers
some 250 hectares and features 16 listed buildings - 7 million bulbs showcasing over 1,600 varieties are planted annually
- The flower bulbs are provided by 100 exhibitors: flower bulb growers and exporters
- Annually well over 7,000 kg of grass seed is sown
- The paths at Keukenhof measure 15 km in total
- There are over 2,500 trees at Keukenhof representing over 100 species – including 100 varieties of prunus (cherry blossoms) that bloom wonderfully
- The historic garden features authentic 16th and 17th-century tulip varieties that
illustrate the development of 400 years of bulb growing in the Netherlands - The windmill dates back to 1892
For information on tickets and visiting the exhibition, see Keukenhof.