Hope springs — and blooms — eternal.
While the global coronavirus pandemic has closed the legendary tulip fields of the Netherlands to tourists this year, farmers are writing optimistic messages with their famous flowers to remind visitors they’ll always be welcome.
The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted many time-honored traditions of spring, like tulip tourism season in the Netherlands, which runs from late March until mid-May, Holland.com reports. As the flowers typically reach their peak in mid-April — and there’s nobody around to see them — some inspired farmers have sent love up above by writing hopeful messages into their tulip fields that can be seen from the sky (and on social media).
“See you next year,” wrote farmers at Dutch Daffodils farm in Noordwijkerhout into a field of red and white tulips, adding a giant heart.
With a little help from tourism company Tulips in Holland, the heads of the flowers were recently removed to spell out the special message, Insider reports.
A photo of the uplifting sight shared by Dutch Daffodils has since gone viral on Facebook, with thousands of likes and shares. Farm owner Ilse Pennings told the outlet that the public response has been “a great success.”
Similarly, farmers at Nursery S. Schouten in Bant recently cut off flower heads in a massive field of orange, fuchsia and yellow blooms to read “#StayStrong,” the Associated Press reports.
According to MSN, the farm hoped to show support for health care workers fighting COVID-19 on the front lines with the tribute. The #StayStrong message also features the logo of a “strong fist,” meant to symbolize “the impressive perseverance of doctors and nurses” though this difficult time.