Keukenhof’s spring season reaches its peak this week, with a captivating floral border by JUB Holland that combines horticultural expertise with artistic flair. Designed by acclaimed garden and landscape designer Carien van Boxtel, the display, titled A Mysterious Dutch Still Life, draws inspiration from 17th-century painter Willem van Aelst and his masterful use of asymmetry and light.
Set against the backdrop of Keukenhof’s 32-hectare garden – where seven million bulbs bloom over eight weeks – this year’s theatrical border is a highlight of the season. A bold colour palette of deep red, gold, yellow and porcelain white creates a dynamic composition still in full bloom, featuring varieties such as Tulipa ‘Sarah Raven’, ‘Queen Rania’, ‘Rem’s Favourite’, and Narcissus poeticus recurvus.
“Keukenhof is both our showcase and our testbed,” says Robbert Uittenbogaard, Director of JUB Holland, based nearby in Noordwijkerhout. “It’s where we present new mixes and show how flower bulb designs can inspire public planting schemes.”
Van Boxtel’s design layers structure, texture and timing to create rhythm and depth. The result evokes a living still life – one that’s not only visually powerful but rooted in practical planting expertise.
JUB Holland makes its Keukenhof designs commercially available to landscape professionals across Europe. These bulb mixes are now used in urban green spaces for their long-lasting beauty, biodiversity benefits and ease of maintenance.
A Mysterious Dutch Still Life remains in bloom at Keukenhof until Sunday, 11 May.
