What are Dutch flower bulbs?

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Are you wondering what are Dutch flower bulbs among your Spring flower choices?

Home gardeners enjoy the unique challenge of growing flowering bulbs because the rewards are so grand. Plant them at the right time ? before the first frost or after the last ? and vibrant, colorful blossoms will burst from the ground. They’re all beautiful, so how do you choose which ones to try?

First, it helps to know the lingo. If you’ve ever wondered what are Dutch flower bulbs, the answer goes deeper than place of origin. Yes, they come from Holland, but what does that mean? How do they differ from other varieties?

Anyone who has ever been lucky enough to pay a visit to Holland and see the beautiful Dutch flower fields has seen first hand why varieties that hale from this country are world famous. Though tulips and other types aren’t native to there, the climate combined with treatments from experienced growers mimic the conditions they would receive in their native region of the Himalayas and Eastern Turkey.

As bulbs are one of Holland’s major exports, their quality of production and shipping is high and regulated for consistency. You know you’re getting a quality flower that will grow tall and bright. Better yet, it will have a strong chance of producing a daughter bulb for the following year.

The full catalog

When you want to know specifically what are Dutch flower bulbs, it helps to look at a catalog. While Holland is perhaps most famous for its tulips, you can find a wide range of both spring-flowering bulbs and summer-flowering as well. Spring-flowering ones need to be ordered by fall and planted before the first frost. Summer-flowering ones should be ordered in winter and planted in early spring.

A few popular bulbs from this region include tulips, narcissi, crocus, hyacinths, iris and amaryllis. These flowers are bred to flourish in places like the United States. Local gardening supply stores place their orders with Dutch exporters early so let them know if you have specific requests!

How to choose

You know what are Dutch flowers bulbs, but you may still be on the fence as far as which ones to choose for your garden. As long as you choose between ones fitted for your hardiness zone, you can’t go wrong. The wonderful thing about bulbs is that they’re easy to grow successfully. All they need is to be planted at the right time and protected from pests.

Aside from an initial drink of water required when first planted, bulbs contain everything they need to produce a stunning flower. At the center, if you were to cut one in half, you’d see the baby flower bud already formed and surrounded by the food it needs to thrive. Some gardeners shy away because they’re accustomed to seeds or seedlings.

See how the Dutch do it

For inspiration, take a look at some of the images of Dutch flower gardens on travel and gardening sites. See how some play with colors by planting different varieties in various patterns. Others accentuate striped blossoms and bold colors by planting the same types of bulbs in large swaths.

Where to find them

Now that you know what are Dutch flower bulbs, you’ll find it useful to know where to get them! Many larger flower vendors offer different varieties of bulbs in early fall and late winter so they can be planted in time. You can also order them directly from a merchant that deals exclusively with Dutch growers.

If you don’t already have a favorite merchant, order catalogs from a handful of different ones or register for online newsletters. This way you can compare prices and varieties so you have a wide range of options.

Veel succes! (That’s Dutch for ?good luck?!)