Connie,

When they send them depends upon the zip-code they ship to (e.g. they would ship to Georgia later than they would would ship to Vermont). At any rate, don't expect them to show up on your doorstep until fall.

I took bulbs back from Amsterdam to Ireland last month. I'm not sure what the regulations are in the US but in Ireland you can take bulbs in once they have no soil attached.

Thank you all so much!! I live in NY, so I would be earlier in the fall I guess.

We ordered bulbs at Keukenhof and they shipped them the following Fall. Any bulbs you bring back in the spring are not going to be in the best shape.

There are many forms of deer repellant available at garden centers or online.

Some of them are pre-marked on the container as being fit for importation into the US. I brought some home from Amsterdam, no sweat.

My daughter recently sent pictures of the bulbs I brought her from the Bloomenmarkt last fall. (None for me, I live in FL.) She said that they all did well, were large and healthy. Others she bought locally (in NC) didn't do as well, many didn't even bloom. So I am supposed to get her more when I'm back in Amsterdam again this Sept.

BTW, her "black" tulips were more of a deep wine-y red, not so purple. Maybe more of an interesting conversation piece but not so showy as the brighter colors. So her order is for yellow and red this time.

When we visited Keukenhof a few years ago in May, a lady there told us when we asked about buying bulbs, that the "best bulbs are in the ground now." She suggested that we order them and have them delivered to the U.S. I am sorry to say that we didn't order any that time, but hope to return soon and do it then. Hope this helps.

i luvs2travel -- I hate to tell you this, but most of the bulbs that are grown in the Netherlands now originate in the United States.

I grew up for a good portion of my life in the Skagit Valley, north of Seattle Washington -- and had a job with Washington Bulb Co.

The local pride by the local Dutch-descended farmers is that they grow the bulbs, harvest them and ship them to Holland. Seriously.

I wouldn't pay $5 Euro for a pack of bulbs I could get from the States, it's like buying a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle wine in France, when you could buy it in Washington State where it came from for half the price.

Jules

I bought some bulbs from the market in Amsterdam when I was backpacking in my YOUTH (1990). They still bloom proudly every spring (unlike some that we buy here that stop blooming after a few years). My Mom is moving house now so I guess I will have to go back and get her some more!!!!

Bulbs brought back into the US must have an inspection sticker and not be over 6 weeks since inspection. Be sure to buy your bulbs before you get to the airport as they are almost double the flower market price.

Best yet buy those same Dutch bulbs at your local gardening center probably at prices cheaper than in Holland.

Like Dutch hothouse tomatoes which often sell for as low as 99 cents a pound in the US in winter but about three times that in Holland for those same to-mah-tows and forget about any hassles with customs.

Certainly mail order direct from Holland can get you any bulb you'd find there.

If bent on buying there wait until the airport and buy guaranteeably certfied OK bulbs there.

I bought bulbs at the Bloemenmarkt in Amsterdam that were said to be approved to take to the US. US Agriculture took them away from me in Philadelphia as they failed to have a special small metal tag on the bag that shows up in their security scanner. I wish I hadn't been so honest by declaring them.

If you don't declare them however you could be sniffed out by the food-smelling beagle brigade, which i often see at my airport Customs arrivals sniffing bags.

I once landed with a carrot in my bag and i took it out and was eating it - knowing it would not be allowed in and the beagle came and plopped his/her head right on my daypack on the floor and wouldn't budge. The Customs guy asked me if i had any vegetables and i pointed to the carrot i was eating. Though no longer in the bag the beagle was smelling its presence. I had to go to a special room where they put my bags thru machines to detect any other vegetable matter - none was found but who knows i may have ended up on some list of vegetable smugglers. Not worth it not to declare IMO.

Since you paid money for them I thought you have to declare them as part of your Customs declaration whether they are bulbs or not... am I incorrect about this?

You need not declare items individually if you are under the overall limit - just a lump sum estimate of what you sent. But there is a box on the entry form asking whether you are carrying vegetable/plant/meat or not. Apparently the beagles i was met with once were really looking for meat for the main part and i read many Italians have hidden sausages taken away.

We just returned from AMS and bought bulbs from the floating flowermarket with the US approval seal and also a bag from the airport right past immigration point (they were more expensive than in town). We declared our bulbs and went thru agriculture check. The officers checked our bulbs and said that the US approval seal has to be less than 6 weeks old (the bulbs that I bought in the AMS airport was dated 8 weeks ago- so 2 weeks past due).. but he was very kind and let us pass thru.

We bought some beautiful black tulips that I plan to get in the ground right away and hope that they bloom in the spring.

Ummh...black tulips - defies the notion i've heard that the finest Dutch horticulturalists have yet to produce a truly black tulip - so far elusive though some do look black. I may be wrong but i believe genuine black tulips still don't exist.