Buy tulips in Amsterdam

Tulips and tulip bulbs as souvenirs

It is possible to buy tulip bulbs that you then take home to grow a piece of Holland in your own garden or perhaps indoors.

The Netherlands is the center of tulips and thus you can look forward to being able to choose incredibly beautiful colors and tulip varieties that are difficult to get hold of at home in Sweden.

The tulip as a Dutch flower

How come we see tulips as Dutch flowers? The truth is that the flower originated in Central Asia.

But the botanist Carolus Clusius caused a kind of tulip revolution in the Netherlands during the 1600th century.

When he started the cultivation of tulips in Holland, it did not take long before the local population took a great liking to the flower.

Many spontaneously began collecting and trading tulip bulbs and prices rose to insane levels.

There was inflation in the tulips. Some became very rich from their "investments" while others lost everything they owned in the Great Tulip Collapse of 1637.

Thus, the tulips were forever associated with Holland and the cultivation has continued with wonderful results in the form of gardens and farms where you can buy cut flowers and bulbs.

Tulips are a great souvenir

It's not just things like clogs and gouda cheese that are high on the shopping list of souvenirs when you go to Amsterdam.

Once there, you must not miss visiting local flower markets where there are plenty of tulips.

If you don't think it's worth buying cut flowers that will wither on the way home, you can buy tulip bulbs as a souvenir.

Grow yourself at home in the garden or give away to someone else who has this interest.

Tulips are a living souvenir from Amsterdam which, in the form of flower bulbs, are not at all difficult to bring with you.

At the flower market, you can see what the finished flowers will look like. Either as finished copies or in a picture and then it will be easy to choose.

Some smart tips when buying tulips in Amsterdam

There are fine tulip farms in several places and the large flower market in the city is not your only choice.

For example, you can go to Flevoland, which is located northeast of Amsterdam. There are very large tulip farms to visit and buy from.

Outside Leiden is Keukenhof which is a very famous park with flowers. You can go here to see the splendor during the spring months (between March and May).

If you come at a different time, you can buy tulip bulbs, but it is especially in April that you can see the tulips blooming in parks and fields.

If you can, it is better to go to Flevoland or to Leiden and avoid the floating florists located on the Singel canal.

It is often seen in brochures for tourists in Amsterdam but can actually become something of a tourist trap during high season.

It gets crowded easily and then you might as well buy your tulips from a kiosk at one of Amsterdam's bridges. That's what Amsterdammers themselves do!