The Keukenhof is the showcase of the hundred leading Dutch onion growers. They show seven million tulips.
Carolus Clusius (1526-1609) planted a handful of tulip bulbs in a small garden at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. The act is considered by the Dutch as the birth of their famous flower business.
Commonly the tulip is thought to have originated in Turkey. Actually the plant probably first appeared in central Asia, From this region, the tulip spread into areas along the Black Sea, throughout the entire Mediterranean area, even into China. As early as 1,000 A.D., the Turks were cultivating tulips.
By the 17th century, horticultural experimenting created many new breeds of tulips. Clusius’ tulips caused a sensation. Their beauty and rarity caught the national fancy. In no time, they became ‘the rage’ as aristocrats flaunted the exotic flowers as symbols of power and prestige.
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