This season, Carien van Boxtel based JUB Holland’s Keukenhof design on two iconic visual worlds: the softly rippling fields of Fields of Gold and the emotionally charged wheat landscapes of Vincent van Gogh. The result is The Field of Gold — a composition in which golden hues, shadow and seasonal movement come together as one.
Gently swaying golden wheat fields under the summer sun — who could fail to be enchanted by them? It was Sting who, in his romantic and emotionally charged song Fields of Gold, drew inspiration from the wheat fields surrounding his home in England. In the song, the fields symbolise enduring love in life and in death, and the endlessly repeating cycle of grain — from seed to flower to harvest — as a metaphor for eternity, fertility and new life.
Vincent van Gogh, too, was profoundly moved by the wheat fields around his home in Auvers-sur-Oise. His deeply dramatic work Wheatfield with Crows, painted in July 1890 shortly before his self-chosen death, is often interpreted as a reflection of his inner turmoil and his thoughts on life, death and solitude. It remains one of his most celebrated and studied works, admired for its dramatic composition and symbolic depth. The painting is built up in layers, with bold, dynamic, richly textured brushstrokes, while the deep, dark colour contrasts allow the gold to shine all the more intensely.
A case for gold (yellow)
In gardens and planting schemes, yellow is a colour that tends to be undervalued — despite Van Gogh’s famous observation that yellow is the colour of the sun. Many people shy away from yellow, especially true, warm golden yellow. Numerous studies show that people tend to prefer cooler colours such as blue over yellow. Psychologist Stephen Palmer explains this through memory and association: green and blue are linked to positive experiences or memories, while yellow is more often associated with negative ones, such as illness.
Insects, by contrast, show a strong preference for yellow flowers: they often bloom early and contain more pollen. Yellow is not only a positive colour in its own right, but also has the remarkable ability to enhance surrounding colours. In JUB Holland’s new mixture, gold is supported by apricot and peach tones, while dramatic black, deep midnight blue and aubergine provide the essential contrast and layering.
