NARCISSUS: THE SPRING BRINGER
The narcissus announces spring for many people! With their cheerful little ‘cups’, they quickly decorate the edges of paths, flower boxes and your living room. The yellow trumpet narcissus, known as Têtê-à-Têtê, are the best known. But the narcissus has many more variations. Let yourself be surprised by the more unusual flower shapes and colour combinations.

Galantamine from Narcissus is a medicine for Alzheimer’s
Research shows that a drug can be produced efficiently and profitably from the waste products of flower bulbs. The reason for this research is that Alzheimer’s disease could be delayed by the active ingredient Galantamine that is found in large quantities in various daffodil bulbs.

A PARADISE FOR BIRDS
There is a large pool of water in front of you, but what is it anyway?

A lake, an artificial pond? No, it is a bulb field that has been flooded to clear the ground of diseases, viruses, weeds and bulb remains. We call that inundation.

This spot is perfect for many birds. The pumped water is rich in nutrients, and because the shallow water heats up quickly, aquatic animals such as mosquitoes and water fleas feel very at home here. Thus, this flooded land is not only a nice place for birds to rest, they also find a lot of food here. A true paradise!

TULIP: THE SYMBOL OF THE NETHERLANDS
The Noordelijk Zandgebied is the largest contiguous flower bulb production area in the world, extending from Texel to Petten. It is here that so many bulbs are grown because the sandy soils and the maritime climate are ideal in this area. The fresh sea breeze is not attractive to lice and other insects that can infect the crop with viruses. Moreover, there is enough water available in this region to be able to irrigate in times of drought.

A flower bulb seems so ordinary, but if you look closer, you’ll see what is so special about it. That specialness is deep inside. A bulb has everything in it to make a flower blossom at the right time. If you cut the bulb in half, you can already see the flower in its heart. It is surrounded by the layers of nutrients that are needed to make the bulb grow and thrive. A special feature of flower bulbs is that, after the grey winter with bare trees and shrubs, they are the first to bring colour to gardens and parks. Its announcing that spring has started again.

Small tulip bulbs are planted in the fall. The balls make roots in the soil and then rest until after the winter. The tulips need this cold period to flower in the spring. When the winter is over, a stem with leaves comes out of the bulb and the tulip starts to flower. A feast for the eyes.

It is a shock to see the bulb grower driving across the land with his machine chopping off the heads of the tulips: you would almost think that he hates tulips. But that’s not it at all. On the contrary, the grower loves his crop and that is why he takes good care of it. However, a tulip grower does not grow his bulbs for the flower, but for the bulb. And by heading the flower at the right time, all the energy goes to the bulb, allowing the bulb to grow considerably. A large bulb then yields a sturdy tulip flower in the garden.

The large bulb also produces small bulbs, which serve as planting material for the grower for the following growing year. The tulip bulbs are harvested, cleaned and sorted by size in June/July. The large bulbs are then sold for floriculture or for gardens.

FLOWER BULB FIELDS: A NURSERY FOR BIRDS
Did you know that bulb fields are an ideal breeding ground for birds? The skylark, the partridge, the yellow wagtail, and the redshank all love to breed among the bulbs. In the period from March to mid-June, little happens on the bulb field. This period of relative tranquillity is ideal for many bird species to be able to make their nest in the bulb field. Not only because of the peace and quiet, but also because the bulb field is warmer than grassland, offers more shelter and there is the necessary nutrition for the birds in the edges of the bulb plot.