European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                It e to if it time continued from Page 11 with More than 500 varieties of Flowers spread along the Park s 10 Miles of footpaths and throughout its pavilions and greenhouses. The Park is open through May 24. The weekend of april 25 a the Day of the annual Flower Parade a is considered the season s Peak. Normally tulips debut in mid april and last until late May daffodils Are on display throughout april and hyacinths do their thing the last two weeks of april. During the season the Park also offers indoor exhibitions in the greenhouse and Queen Beatrix Pavilion featuring irises Narcissuss roses lilies and More. A Section of Keuken Hof s grounds is dedicated to seven theme gardens. The Small plots Are designed to Quot give people an idea of the Many types of gardens that they can organize Kooiman said. The Sample do it yourself gardens Are built around themes such As style scent color and a Renaissance look. Gardening experts Are available weekends through May 1 7 to answer questions. Seven growers take Flower bulb orders from Booths operating within the Park through the season. Their prices Are All about the same with 100 bulbs costing about $40 to $55 for shipment to Germany $48 to $70 for shipment to the United states. The bulbs which Are Only sold in bulk packages Are then shipped in the fall. Planting directions Are provided in English. Quot people think it s a lot of work to Plant 100 bulbs but i Tell them it s easy Quot said Corria Binkhorst of Tulip Garden John Vangrieken. Quot you can do it in a half hour and then you just  because of customs Laws regarding transporting agricultural material americans who want to take bulbs Back to the United states should have them shipped directly Binkhorst said. Keuken Hof also has special attractions for children including a playground and a Small animal farm. In addition families can pick up a free children s Booklet called Boll Bozen route at the Entrance or at the information offices. The Booklet includes a map of a numbered path at each Stop children answer questions such As Quot what do you think is the most Beautiful thing in this greenhouse Quot children who Complete the questions can turn their answers in for a Reward at the end of the route. The Park has five self service restaurants and several eating terraces and Coffee shops. Prices Range from 4 guilders about $2.25 for a hot dog to 16 guilders about $8.90 for a schnitzel dinner. Expect to pay $1.25 for a Coke or Coffee. There Are also plenty of benches where visitors can enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by Flowers. Wheelchairs Are available at no Cost for older visitors who Aren t up to walking the Garden paths. The chairs should be reserved two Days in Advance by contacting the gardens office. Entrance to Keuken Hof is 14 guilders about $7.75 for adults 6.50 guilders for children 4-12, and 11 guilders for senior citizens. Parking costs 2.50 guilders. For More information Contact Keuken Hof at 02521-19144. If calling from outside the Netherlands be sure to add the country code. Gigs Kooiman tulips Are the stars of Keuken Hof which was founded by the Region s bulb growers As a showcase for the Flowers that grow from their products. At right swans approach the Edge of a Pond to seek a few morsels of food. Visitors skip from one round platform to another to make their Way across the Garden s Central Pond. A variety of Flowers and bulbs is sold inside one of the greenhouses and at Booths around the Garden. By Rosemary Sawyer Brussels Bureau hundreds of thousands of blossoms will hit the Road april 25 in the annual Flower Parade that draws More than 1 million spectators to Holland s bulb growing Region. Twenty floats decorated in the same fashion As those in California s Rose bowl Parade will be accompanied by musical groups and pedal festooned cars on a route that stretches from Haarlem to Noordijk along Netherlands route n-208. At night the floats will be illuminated for an hour Long Parade through Noordijk. After the Parade they will be parked along Queen Wilhelmina Boulevard and remain lighted until Midnight on both april 25 and 26. The daytime Parade starts in Haarlem at 10 . And finishes in Passenheim at 5 . The floats Are then moved to nearby nor Ewijk where the night procession begins at 9. For a fee people can watch the floats being decorated in the Horaho Halls in Lisse two Days before the Parade. The Halls Are in the Center of town directly across from the tourist information office. They re open from noon until Midnight thursday and from 10 . Friday. Admission is 7.50 guilders about $4.15 for adults 5 guilders for senior citizens and free for children under 12. Visitors on Parade weekend should Quot expect traffic jams Quot cautions gigs p. Kooiman a spokesman for Keuken Hof Garden in Lisse. The crowd usually strains the Garden s 30-acre parking areas As Well since that weekend is traditionally the busiest for the Park. Visitors May want to consider taking the train to Leiden or Haarlem and transferring to a bus for Lisse. Buses run twice an hour from Leiden and three times an hour from Haarlem. From Haarlem you can take bus number 50, 51 or 92 from Leiden bus 50 or 51. One Way fare from Haarlem Cost about $4.50 and from Leiden about $3.75. Parking May be easy however compared to finding a place to stay. Hotel and bed and breakfast accommodations near Lisse Are very difficult to find because tour operators Book available rooms far in Advance. But if visitors Are willing to be flexible rooms can still be found says Peter Mulder of the National reservation Center. Quot if we can t find a hotel in the town they want Well suggest another town Quot he says. Callers to the reservation Center will be asked what Price Range they re interested in although Mulder warns Low and medium priced rooms might be hard to find near the bulb growing areas. Those who receive rooms Are asked to Call Back a few Days later to confirm the reservation. The confirmation will also be sent by mail so americans should remember to have their european address Handy. If the Central office can t make a suitable match it can refer callers to hotels in their requested area which they can Contact on their own to Check for cancellations Mulder says. Callers can also ask for the phone numbers of local tourist information offices which sometimes Book hotels not listed with the National office. The Telephone number for the National reservation Center located near the Hague is 0703-202500 its Tel fax number is 0703-202611. Tourist information offices in the area include Noordijk 01 71 -919321 Lisse 02521-14262 Haarlem 023-319059 Zand Voort 02507-17947 and Leiden 01718-75444. In Holland information offices have Blue and White signs bearing the letters  the staff will usually speak English. For those who prefer going with a tour group spaces Are still available on coach trips to Keuken Hof and the Parade run by top and enjoy tour companies. Both offer express and one or two overnight versions. Prices for trips from Germany run from $69 for the express tour no overnight accommodations to $209 for two overnights in an Amsterdam area hotel. Tours offering rooms in private Homes Are slightly less expensive. Enjoy Tours also offers a special family tour which features extra activities geared to children and hotel rooms at the Beach in Zand Voort instead of the Amsterdam area. Children accompanied by two adults on this tour receive a half Price rate. Bookings and details Are available at military base travel offices. A raised Walkway circling an operating Windmill offers a great View of the Garden s Flowers and crowds below. A amps photos by Dave Didio 12 stripes Magazine april 16, 1992 apri 16, 1992 stripes Magazine 13