Netherlands garden boasts colorful display of seven million tulips

The tulips are in full bloom at Keukenhof garden in Lisse, Netherlands. It has opened for the spring flower season, and the seven million bulbs will flower over the eight weeks the park is open.

This colorful display attracts visitors from all over the world, keen to enjoy the gardens.

It takes a team of gardeners and horticulturalists like Owen Carroll 10 months to prepare the flower beds. The hard work is all worth it in the end.

'Wow factor'

"It is nice to see the people come inside the gates with a big smile, because it is a spring garden in Europe and that means the people like to come in here and the gardens as well and that's why we like doing our job as well," Carroll says.

"Don't forget, there's a lot of work here... when the people come inside the gate and they get the wow factor.... You know you did a good job for the ten months before," he adds.

With such a limited window to see the flowers, it's important they are kept in top condition. That means making sure the flood of visitors don't trample stems underfoot as they try to capture the perfect photo.

"Today the people are a bit more aggressive [than] maybe 50 years ago, so sometimes you've got to say, please don't touch the flowers, please don't walk on the grass," Carroll explains. "But it's very difficult because the people come from across the world and what they want to do is take a picture behind the flowers.

"Sometimes you can agree with them, sometimes you don't agree with them, but then we say, to here and not further. It's very important, you've got to keep our customers very happy. And that's why we've got to be very polite, show a big smile, but sometimes you've got to say no," he says.

'Absolutely beautiful'

The Dutch have been dazzled by these tulips since they were first imported to the Netherlands from central Asia in the 17th century.

The Keukenhof says well over a million visitors make their way here to see the display each year.

Kanti Patel and Bhanu Patel are visiting Keukenhof for the first time to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary ahead of schedule.

"I didn't expect it to be like this, absolutely beautiful, absolutely beautiful," says Bhanu.

But such an impressive spectacle is a huge draw for tourists - and that means crowds.

"I like the quiet more than the people and the crowd, but I also think it's really a popular place, so it's normal that it's a lot of people around," says Sara Berto, a visitor from Italy.

The park is also a major showcase for Dutch floriculture, highlighting the country's long-standing expertise in flower cultivation and export.

Despite its short season, Keukenhof remains one of the Netherlands' most visited attractions each spring.