By Lisa Catherine Brown

Ah, spring! Can we exclaim this enough in the northern hemisphere today? The days get longer and warmer. The rains come and the earth greens. Color and scent that have been dormant burst forth. The birds return and those brave enough to have weathered winter with us are preening in color as well. Ah, spring!

The landscape is beckoning – blackberry thickets are deepening to purple greens, tiny buds can be seen on the early blooming dogwood and forsythia - evidence of much anticipated spring – but most promising are the crocus, hyacinth, iris and tulip leaves I discover. Pushing their way up toward the warming sun, those knife-like sprouts give assurance of a new season to even the greyest of days.

10 Billion Tulip Bulbs Say Rejoice!

Nowhere in the world do the promises of spring bring more excitement, wealth and fascinating history as the northern Netherlands where more than 3 billion tulips decorate the landscape for a mere couple of weeks. These tulips are harvested and two-thirds exported, mostly to the US and Germany. An estimated 10 billion bulbs are produced each year with 75% of the Dutch bulbs being exported.