Mother's Day: flowers and strawberries

It will be a busy weekend for mothers, mothers-in-law, and their families. Mother's Day falls on May 10, 2026. Flowers are being sold for top prices and strawberry cake sells out quickly. For example, the last weekend of the Keukenhof. So, enjoy the park with its flowers, sculptures, and art objects together (if the flowers haven't finished blooming). Afterwards, enjoy some delicious strawberry cake, and if stomachs aren't full, have dinner together. In short, enjoy nature and culture this weekend. There are also the National Windmill Days on May 9 and 10, 2026.

Mother's Day (May 10, 2026)

Mother's Day is a holiday celebrated in honor of motherhood and the influence mothers have on society. Mother's Day is usually celebrated in March, April, or May; this varies by country. In large parts of the world, including the Netherlands and Belgium, Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday in May. In the Antwerp region (gradually expanding after the restoration of the Diocese of Antwerp from 1962 into what is now the Diocese of Antwerp), Mother's Day (also called Mariadag, Moederkesdag, or Sainte Marie) has been celebrated on August 15 since 1913. On that date, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is celebrated. In many Catholic and Orthodox countries, including Belgium, this is a public holiday. In families that celebrate Mother's Day, the day revolves around pampering the mother. For example, she receives breakfast in bed, exemption from household chores, and gifts. Sometimes the younger children have made gifts and poems at school or daycare.

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Mother's Day was not introduced in America until the mid-19th century. In 1870, Judge Julia Ward Howe of Philadelphia launched a major publicity campaign for Mother's Day, a day intended to be dedicated to pacifism and disarmament by women. However, success did not come until Anna Marie Jarvis (1864–1948) of Grafton, West Virginia, began promoting Mother's Day in 1907 as a day of appreciation for mothers. In 1908, she organized the first Mother's Day, primarily to commemorate her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. During the American Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis had organized Mother's Day Work Clubs to provide food and medicine for needy mothers. The idea caught on, and Jarvis persevered to persuade more people. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson decided that every second Sunday in May would henceforth be celebrated. Mother’s Day and would be a national holiday. In its current form, this holiday spread from the United States to the rest of the Western world.

In 1916, Mother's Day arrived in the Netherlands at the initiative of the Salvation Army. At the time, it did not catch on very well. That changed in 1924, after the Royal Society for Horticulture and Botany introduced the day with targeted campaigns aimed at stimulating flower sales in the Netherlands. It succeeded: to this day, a bouquet of flowers remains the most popular Mother's Day gift. In 2018, half of the Dutch population 'did something for Mother's Day'. In 2017, this figure was 57%.

Keukenhof history

School chart: Jacoba van Beieren before Gorinchem, December 1, 1417. Coll: R. Koo

The history of Keukenhof dates back to the 15th century. This estate housed a herb garden and served as a hunting ground for various small game. Herbs and hunted game ended up in the kitchen of Teylingen Castle, owned by the Countess Jacoba of Bavaria (1401–1436), which explains the name. Jacoba remains the 'symbol' of Keukenhof. Keukenhof Castle was built in 1641, and the estate grew to cover an area of over 200 hectares.

The Netherlands (2012): Country Estates – Keukenhof.

Landscape architects Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher, who later also designed the Vondelpark, redesigned the garden around the castle in 1857. That park, in the English landscape style, still forms the basis of Keukenhof.

Netherlands (1996): Keukenhof flower block.

In 1949, ten bulb growers and exporters took the initiative to establish the Keukenhof Foundation. The intention was to create a 'showcase' for flower bulbs. A year later, the exhibition grounds near Lisse opened. The Keukenhof spring park had become a reality. The park opened for the first time in 1950. It was an immediate success: 236.000 visitors. In 2022, Keukenhof attracted over 1,1 million visitors, 72% of whom were from abroad, primarily Germany, France, the USA, and England. The 74th edition will take place in 2023. Over the past 73 years, Keukenhof has grown into a household name worldwide.

English poster of the first Keukenhof in 1950 with Jacoba van Beieren.

In 1949, ten bulb growers and exporters took the initiative to establish the Keukenhof Foundation. The intention was to create a 'showcase' for the flower bulbs. A year later, the exhibition grounds near Lisse opened. In 1950, more than two hundred thousand visitors came during the first Keukenhof.

Netherlands (2006): Tulips from the '5 for Europe' sheet.

Keukenhof is the international and independent showcase of the Dutch floriculture industry, with an emphasis on bulb flowers. Over eight weeks, Keukenhof displays what the Dutch floriculture sector has to offer. The park focuses on the 7 million spring-flowering bulbs, with 100 exhibitors presenting their living catalogue. In more than 20 flower shows, 500 flower growers present cut flowers and potted plants in all their variety.

The Netherlands (2014): Keukenhof – Lisse (from the series Paparazzo).

As a result, Keukenhof is a strong meeting place for business contacts. Trade meetings for growers are regularly organized. Keukenhof maintains good relations with all relevant organizations in the floriculture and tourism sectors.

Flag stamp Keukenhof Lisse Holland Haarlem station.

In Keukenhof, 100 flower bulb companies and growers (exhibitors) showcase their finest assortment of spring-flowering bulbs. The Keukenhof designer creates a unique design for each company. He consults with the exhibitor regarding the colors, heights, and flowering time. In the autumn, the exhibitor delivers all the flower bulbs to Keukenhof.

Haarlem 21 2 1950. Red franking 8c of v.Tubergen NV Kweekerij Zwanenburg.

Check the Keukenhof website for the agenda and activities up to and including May 10, 2026.

Strawberry

The strawberry is a widely cultivated hybrid between two American strawberry species, and is primarily known for its edible fruit. The parents of the hybrid are the species Fragaria virginiana, originating from the North American East Coast, and the species Fragaria chiloensis, originating from the West Coast of both Americas. Many hundreds of varieties of this hybrid are in cultivation. Botanically speaking, the fruit of the strawberry is a false fruit. The true fruits are nuts, recognizable as seeds on the surface of the false fruit.

Strawberries can be propagated vegetatively. The plant forms runners from which new plants are formed. Healthy plants can produce up to 10 runners. For normal open-field cultivation, these plants are planted out in late July and early August. Strawberries can then be harvested from these plants the following year. In professional cultivation, the plants are destroyed after harvesting, followed by replanting with new plants. Leaving the plants standing to harvest from them again the following year has the disadvantage that the fruit becomes smaller and, due to bushy growth, the fruit can be affected by fruit rot more quickly.

The most widely grown variety in Belgium and the Netherlands is 'Elsanta', with its daughter 'Sonata'. Some varieties include 'Korona', 'Vima Zanta', 'Lambada', 'Elianny', and 'Pineberry'. The very earliest variety is 'Karina', but this produces few fruits. The earliest variety with a good fruit yield is Flair; the fruit yield remains good even in cold temperatures. Everbearing varieties include 'Prize', 'Harmony' (formerly known as 'P061103V'), 'Malling Pearl', 'Ava', 'Rapella', 'Evita', 'Everest', 'Vima Rina', 'Selva', 'Koning Kim', 'Everglade', and 'Ostara'. An increasingly popular everbearing variety is Favori, which is known for its beautiful fruit and good taste.

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In California, strawberries were primarily cultivated with fruit that was about as hard as an apple. The fruits grown in Europe, on the other hand, were soft. Crossbreeding between these two types of strawberry varieties has resulted in the firm varieties we see today, which can therefore be easily transported over long distances.