LISSE, Netherlands - Nothing says springtime like the tulip season in the Netherlands. The vast Dutch sky hangs low against rectangles of color majestic purples, regal reds, bright yellows, eye-popping whites.

Tulip fields dot the countryside from Haarlem to The Hague. But the centerpiece of tulip-watching is Keukenhof park, located in Lisse, about 30 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam.

Here, the tulip hunter is rewarded with artistic compositions of tulips with their seasonal brethren, hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses and other springtime varieties.

Gardeners begin planting the 32 hectares with more than 7 million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in mid-September to prepare for the eight-week spectacle that runs for a period spanning from mid-March through mid-May. The hand-planting by 40 gardeners takes three months.

The color combinations are the envy of any fashion runway. Gardeners show off their fancy, placing a carpet of tiny blue Siberian squill against the ruffled blossoms of pinkish fox trot tulip variety.

Elsewhere, they contrast the deep hue of unopened red tulips against a backdrop of yellow daffodils. White daffodils pop against a bed of whiter hyacinths.

More than a million tourists visit the gardens each year, and compete for close-up shots of tulip gardens, no less frenetic than a red carpet shoot.

The full grandeur of the bulb imported from Turkey in the 16th century becomes clear on close inspection. The exotic-looking crown imperial tulip resembles a pineapple with tufts of leaves above umber-colored flowers. That the tulip is a member of the lily family becomes abundantly clear when gazing upon the Madalyn, with its sharp-tipped petals.

Keukenhof can make for a full-day outing, offering also flower shows, a walk up a typical windmill for a view of adjacent flower fields, a canal boat ride, children's playground, restaurants and food trucks, which give the whole place a relaxed, festival atmosphere.

Today, the tulip is a major part of the Dutch horticulture economy while also being celebrated as part of the culture.

Tulip season officially opens on Jan 20, signaling the start of seasonal exports of cut tulips from the nation's vast network of greenhouses. To celebrate the day, Dutch tulip growers bring over 200,000 tulips to Amsterdam's Dam Square, which can be picked for free.

The Netherlands is the largest tulip producer in the world, producing more than 2 billion tulip bulbs a year. According to Dutch trade figures, 77 percent of all flower bulbs traded worldwide come from the Netherlands, the majority of which are tulips.

The outdoor bloom begins closer to mid-March and with it come more folksy tributes, with residents in small towns creating floral sculptures from tulips and hyacinths, showing them off along roadsides. Once a year, there is a 42-km parade of tulip floats and decorated cars from Noordwijk to Haarlem.

Associated Press