hyacinth vases | paintings of flower bulb fields | books
This site provides information about collecting hyacinth and other glass bulb vases, tells you about the process of forcing bulbs on them indoors and shows some of their colourful beauty and great diversity. A chapter about crocus pots is also included.
But there’s more!
Here you’ll discover more than just hyacinth vases – from vibrant oil paintings of bulb fields to inspiring books on bulb cultivation. And good to know: everything is for sale! So browse around and get inspired. Whatever you are looking for about flower bulbs, there’s a good chance you’ll find it here.
What you’ll find on this website
Hyacinth Vases
Wim Granneman owns an unique collection of hyacinth and other bulb vases. The collection consists of many more vases than shown on this website. Some have been on exhibition in various museums. If you are interested, this collection can be purchased either in parts or as a whole.
Oil Paintings
As an artist, Wim Granneman has painted many beautiful landscapes, with vibrant flower bulbs and expansive bulb fields at the heart of his work. Each piece tells a story. Parts of his impressive work are now for sale. An exclusive opportunity to add a handmade oil painting to your collection.
Books
Last but not least, Wim Granneman is the author of several books and publications on the origins of bulb cultivation in the Netherlands, especially around Hillegom. With his lively writing style, he takes readers on a journey back in time, revealing the story behind this unique horticultural tradition.
a journey through the past
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Collecting hyacinth vases
More than four centuries ago the professional growing of flower bulbs was started not far from my hometown Hillegom, around the city of Haarlem, west of Amsterdam. In the 17th century the tulip bulb trade resulted in the world-famous ‘Tulipmania’, when tulip bulbs were sold at gigantic prices. About a century later the same happened with the hyacinth bulb, albeit on a smaller scale. The hyacinth became the flower of fashion! Soon the growing of hyacinths on glass was to follow, mainly to bring the flowering of the bulbs forward and have the blooms on one’s windowsill in midwinter. All the more reason why I started collecting the beautiful, colourful and decorative bulb vases.
This website aims to give you a survey of the many different designs produced over the last centuries and the growing of bulbs on them. However the pictures show only a small sample of the great diversity of existing vases! Perhaps the site will encourage you to start collecting them or forcing bulbs on vases in the home! Enjoy watching the sunlight shining through a row of these colourful vases in your window sill.
Good collecting! Collecting hyacinth vases is fun!
Let’s connect
I have often received questions about where to buy the best flower bulbs. There are many reliable suppliers in our region, which are easy to find. I’d like to mention a few from my home town Hillegom, which has always been an important center for the cultivation and trade of flower bulbs. Below are some leading companies.
Retail: Nijssen Bulbs Heemstede — Although originally founded in Heemstede, the company has been based in Hillegom for many years. It sells directly to private customers and has built an excellent reputation as a supplier of all kinds of flower bulbs. It also specializes in rare varieties, several of which are mentioned on this website.
👉 www.nijssentuin.nl
Wholesale only: Nord Lommerse Flowerbulb Group — A company that sells flower bulbs worldwide, mainly to professional flower growers. It specializes in tulips, but also in lilies and other bulbous plants.
👉 www.nordlommerse.com
Wholesale only: C. Steenvoorden B.V. — Another company that sells flower bulbs across the globe, primarily to flower growers. It specializes in lilies, but also in tulips and other bulbs.
👉 www.steenvoorden.nl
Trusted names I’m happy to recommend
Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to express my thanks to Jet Schokker and Robert Sutcliffe for all their help with the English language. I am grateful to the late Willy Peelen for putting pictures at my disposal of her forcing experiments on those most exceptional ‘antipode bulb vases’ and Gjalt Welling for the beautiful picture he made of my collection of Leerdam vases. The latter was first published in the book ‘Bloeiend Glas’ (Flowering Glass) of 2009, the book in which Sytske Welling Wester published her chapter on Dutch bulb vases. The results of her extensive research on this subject were a great help to me in describing the Dutch bulb vases of this site. My son Jan-Willem, I would like to thank for starting this project in 1998 and his help on the first three versions. Furthermore, I owe Miek Stap of Stap Projects my gratitude for all her work on the creative design of the fourth version of the website in 2012. And last but not least, I would like to thank Martine Kaagman of Pretty Pages Webdesign for the major modernisation of this website in 2025 and all the work she has done for the expansion of the website, especially with the paintings and books.
Wim Granneman
- Website History:
- 1998 May – 1st version
- 2001 March – 2nd version
- 2004 December- 3rd version
- 2012 March – 4th version
- 2018 August - 5th version
- 2025 August- 6th version