European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel Eph she tips Zzz the Keuken Hof Flower Garden in Lisse is near the West coast of the Netherlands no More than a 25-mile drive Southwest from Amsterdam. Its 70 acres of blooms Are ringed by 22,000 acres of Lush Tulip Fields where commercial growers produce millions of bulbs annually for Export. Among other nearby towns where Tulip growing is King Are Haarlem Vogelenzang and Noordijk. A morning or afternoon drive in this Region is Well Worth the Effort. If you stay in Amsterdam one possibility for seeing Keuken Hof and the Tulip Fields is to take a bus tour. Tours leave from the Vicinity of the City s Central train station twice daily at 10 . And 2 30 . Tickets can be purchased in Advance for 38 guilders about $20which includes admission to Keuken Hof. The bus Tours last four hours. The Best time to go is now. Keuken Hof is open to tourists through May 21. Tulips always the Star of the show in Holland should be in full Bloom through at least mid May. This year s growing season got off to a fast Start because of an Early Spring but recent Chilly weather is actually serving to lengthen the season. Keuken Hof annually hosts a series of competitions among growers of tulips and other Flowers. Best of show candidates Are generally on display in the Queen Beatrix Pavilion near the North Entrance to the Garden. Lilies will be featured May 11 -24. Two nearby Sites Many tourists visit Are the Franz Roozen gardens in Vogelenzang a 10-minute drive from Keuken Hof and the world Flower Center in Aal Smeer. Franz Roozen allows visitors to tour a greenhouse with dozens of Tulip varieties on display and then to order bulbs for planting at Home in the fall. The world Flower Center holds daily commercial auctions of Cut Flowers and potted plants that boggle the mind. Visitors can tour the huge facility it could cover 90 soccer Fields Between 7 30 and 11 . Weekdays. The heaviest bidding occurs Between 8 and 9 . A . Visitors Stock up on plants and bulbs. A girl relaxes in the Park. Flowers of Many varieties compete for the stroller s attention