We’re heading out on a little summer trip! While the Netherlands have slightly cooler summers than the temperate regions of the United States, their weather and seasons correspond relatively closely to ours. Just as in the U.S., Holland is experiencing early summer – which means there’s still time to check out this year’s late-blooming lilies!
To visit this year’s lily crop, we’re heading back to Noord Holland, the northernmost province of the Netherlands. This province features a very diverse landscape – home to big cities like Amsterdam and Haarlem, as well as large agricultural regions, it’s a peninsula reaching into the North Sea. Tucked just at the north edge of Noord Holland is Breezand, one of the biggest flower-growing cities in the country, and home to many of our bulb growers. The world-class horticulturalists here make it possible to transport Dutch lilies around the globe. Each year, Ben and his Dutch Breck’s team find the newest, hardiest and most vibrant crop of Asiatic and Oriental lilies right here – and work till next season to bring them to you!
Holland has been the world’s major exporter of tulip and daffodil bulbs since the 1600s. But, the Dutch lily market really blew up in recent decades – in fact, the acreage dedicated to lilium bulb production today is more than 25 times the acreage used for lilies in 1960. Why the surge in demand for this lovely export? The reasons have to do with the cultivation of new, easier-to-grow lily hybrids. Here in Breezand, you’ll find big, bright Asiatic, Oriental and Longiflorum lily varieties that didn’t exist just a few years ago!
Today, Holland’s beautiful blooms don’t end in the spring – you’ll see gorgeous lily blooms all summer! Want to check out some of our newest varieties? You’ll find all of them at www.brecks.com! And, don’t forget to enter to win a trip to visit the fields of the Netherlands in person!
