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Tulip farmers in Netherlands spell out messages of support with flowers
Sales of the new tulip 'Stay Strong' will benefit Doctors Without Borders
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Your support makes all the difference.Tulip farmers in the Netherlands are using their famous flower beds to share supportive messages as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
In posts shared to social media, Dutch farmers, who have closed their farms to tourists this year in accordance with social distancing guidelines, have shared a photo of their flowers spelling out the message “see you next year”.
“Due to Covid-19 travel plans have changed,” flower blog Tulips in Holland captioned a photo of the blooms. “Many of you were planning to travel to The Netherlands to see the flower fields in bloom. Unfortunately this isn’t possible this year. And many of you won’t see the flower field in full bloom.
“This week Dutch Daffodils and the Tulips in Holland family teamed up to create something for all people who [were] supposed to travel to The Netherlands. You may miss The Netherlands, but we miss you too!”
According to the blog, which describes itself as a national guide to the tulips of the Netherlands, the farmers decided to use the flower beds to spread some cheer.
“We headed the tulips a bit earlier to write this message,” the post continues. “From our families to yours! We hope that this brightens your day a bit and we hope to see you next year!”
In the photo, the flowers can be seen spelling out “see you next year” above a red heart shaped from tulips.
The uplifting gesture prompted an outpouring of support on social media, where people praised the farmers for the comforting reminder.
“This is so awesome! I had the most amazing experience last year visiting; I love the spirit and pride of the tulip farmers in Holland,” one person wrote.
Another said: “What a beautiful message. Thank you.”
Other tulip farmers have also used their blooms to spell out messages, with a tulip grower in Noordoostpolder in the Netherlands choosing to name a new tulip variant “Stay Strong” - a message spelled out in the farm’s flowers - in honour of the healthcare workers working on the front lines of the pandemic.
In addition to the tribute, sales of the flowers, created by farmers Joris Schouten and Frank Timmerman, will benefit Doctors Without Borders, according to MSN.
In 2019, more than 1.5m people visited the Keukenhof garden, the largest flower park in the Netherlands, during its eight-week opening, The New York Times reports.
As of 30 April, there have been more than 39,000 cases and 4,795 deaths from coronavirus in the Netherlands.
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