Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden to Open 58th Keukenhof in Lisse

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. October 14, 2008

THE NETHERLANDS, March 1, 2007. Holland's world-famous spring gardens, the Keukenhof, will be in full bloom again when it opens its gates officially on March 21st, the first day of spring. The 58th edition of the international Keukenhof flower exhibition will be opened by Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the eldest daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. The presence of the princess will lend extra distinction to the Keukenhof theme for 2007: "Linnaeus: King of Flowers Turns 300." The park will be open to the public from March 22nd till May 20th, 2007.

Theme

This year marks the third centenary of the birth of the Swedish physician and botanist Carolus Linnaeus. Keukenhof chose this theme to accentuate the vital role that Linnaeus played in the world of bulb cultivation. To this very day, tulips are named according to a classification system developed by Linnaeus in the eighteenth century.

The theme will be repeated through many different shapes and forms throughout the park. Blue and yellow will be the predominant tones in many of the plant arrangements. An inspirational garden based on Sweden's national colors and exhibitions of Swedish art will also be on display. The theme was launched a few months ago when a group of children planted bulbs for the mosaic of Pippi Longstocking, the heroine from the children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The huge portrait of Pippi (approx. 52 x 36 feet) will blossom in spring of 2007.

Royal Hats

The Keukenhof Gardens, with more than 7 million bulbs, also features a number of special events, with as highlight, now in its fourth year, a special exhibit on the use of flowers in hat making. The exhibit will also feature hats as part of an international hat making competition named, "Royal Hats." Top hat designers and artists from all over the world have been invited to let their imaginations soar. Visitors can also feast their eyes on a selection of real royal hats, which have been specially loaned to the Keukenhof for the exhibition.

History

Keukenhof was originally the herb garden ("keuken" means kitchen in Dutch) of the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beyeren (1401-1436). In 1840, the horticultural architects Zocher, a father and son, designed the park that forms the basis of the current Keukenhof. They also designed the noted Vondelpark in Amsterdam.

Opening Details

Thousands of visitors from all over the world come to marvel at the sea of colors each year. The 80-acre park located one hour from Amsterdam and renowned for the millions of tulips, narcissi, hyacinths and other bulb flowers, will be open daily to the public from March 22nd through May 20th, from 8:00am to 7:30pm (ticket office open until 6:00pm). Entrance fee is 13,00 Euro (approx. US $17) for adults and 6,00 Euro (approx. US $8) for children. Keukenhof can be reached by train and bus, or by car. E-tickets can be ordered via the website during certain parts of the year.

The famous annual flower parade from Noordwijk to Haarlem, the largest in Holland, will take place on Saturday, April 21st.

For more information on the Keukenhof Gardens, contact the Keukenhof at P.O. Box 66, 2160AB Lisse, tel. 011-31-252-465564. Internet: www.keukenhof.com and E-mail: [email protected].