From the Firehose: A Rainbow of Springtime Color
For three short months every year the landscape in the Netherlands transforms.
Take a look at the bright springtime greens of the North Holland Peninsula:
If you zoom in and take a closer look, you’ll notice a kaleidoscope of color that complements the vibrant green fields. Red, purple, pink, orange, and yellow fields grow just south of the port city of Den Helder on the peninsula’s northern tip.
What are they exactly? They’re tulip fields. Every year between March and May, the bulbs bloom, creating a colorful natural spectacle that draws tourists from all over the world to the Netherlands.
Here’s what the fields look like on the ground:
Further south on the Peninsula, hundreds upon hundreds of tulip fields grow alongside traditional crops.
Tulips have a long history in the Netherlands. In the 16th Century, traders imported them from the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). The blooms took very well to the cool, moist soils of the North Holland lowlands.
The rare bulbs were so popular at the time that they transformed into a speculative commodity—traded and brokered internationally.
While the bulbs may no no-longer cause “Tulip Mania”, they provide breathtaking views for locals and tourists on the ground; and those of us here at Planet Labs, who marvel at our changing planet from space.
