100,000 Tulips in Antwerp: Picking Garden kicks off Flemish flowering season

Saturday heralded the start of Flanders' flowering season with a Picking Garden in the heart of Antwerp. The square near the city's Central Station was transformed into a colourful sea of flowers, inviting visitors to come and pick some of the one hundred thousand Flemish tulips for free.

The picking garden on Koningin Astridplein is an initiative of the Flemish ornamental plant sector and the Flemish Centre for Agro and Fisheries Marketing (VLAM). Flemish ornamental growers have already started cultivating spring flowers, including tulips, daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, chess flowers and grape hyacinths. Along with cut roses, amaryllis, gerbera, alstroemeria and carnations, they will soon be available at flower shops and markets again to bring spring into our homes.

This year's godmother of the Picking Garden is radio presenter Kawtar Ehlalouch. "I inherited my great love for flowers from my mum. She often took time to make flower arrangements to decorate the house and it really brightened things up. So we knew we could always make her happy with a colourful bouquet. And that's why I still really enjoy giving flowers to people, because it's so simple but says so much at the same time."

(KOR)

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