THE NETHERLANDS IN MAY ...............................

At  first glance, it looks like a giant child armed with a box of  crayons has been set loose       Cantikkannnnn.......               Their  dazzling colors are thanks to the years in the 17th century when  tulip mania swept the   globe  and the most eye-catching specimens changed hands for a small  fortune. But like a   rainbow,  this colorful landscape is a short-lived phenomenon. When the  flowers are gone,   the  land will be cultivated for a rather more mundane crop of  vegetables. upon  the landscape. Vivid stripes of purple, yellow, red, pink, orange  and green make up   A  glorious patchwork. Yet far from being a child's sketchbook, this  is, in fact, the northern Netherlands in the middle of tulip  season. The Dutch landscape in May is a kaleidoscope of color as the tulips burst into life. The bulbs are planted in late  October and early November.  More than three billion tulips  are grown each year and two-thirds of the vibrant blooms are  exported, mostly to the U.S. and Germany .