WHERE: Keukenhof Gardens, Holland's world-famous spring gardens of tulips, narcissus, hyacinths and other bulbs will be in full bloom when it opens March 18.

Each year, the 80-acre gardens welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world to view magnificent displays, exhibitions and cultural events within the park.

Traditionally, Keukenhof creates a garden theme with flowers. For 2010, "From Russia With Love" will feature Russian landscapes, a Russian-inspired garden, and Russian wildlife in the children's play area with dacha and matryoshka dolls. The central exhibit will be an enormous mosaic of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The flower Cathedral — measuring 69 feet by 39 feet — is created from more than 65,000 flower bulbs.

Last year's theme "USA, New Amsterdam — New York, 400 years," drew attention to the time 400 years ago when Henry Hudson sailed up the river named for him, to lay the foundation for what is now New York. Keukenhof closed its gardens last year with a record number of visitors.

Around 7 million bulbs are planted annually in the gardens, established in 1949 for growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe to show off their hybrids — and help the Netherlands, the world's largest exporter of flowers.

Keukenhof has been the world's largest flower garden for more than 50 years. The best time to view the tulips, weather permitting, is around mid-April.

The annual flower parade from Noordwijk to Haarlem, the largest in Holland, will be April 24.

WHAT ELSE: "Gone with the Wind," a fashion exhibition March 18 through May 16 in the Keukenhof's Juliana pavilion, spotlights the country's top fashion, jewelry designers and photographers, many of whom were inspired by Dutch regional costumes. Visitors to the park can rent bicycles, take a boat ride or simply stroll among flowers, windmills, pavilions and horticultural exhibitions.

IF YOU GO: Keukenhof Gardens is in Lisse, the "Dune and Bulb" region south of Haarlem and southwest of Amsterdam, easily accessible by bus from the train stations of Haarlem, Leiden and Schiphol.

Keukenhof is open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily, March 18 through May 16. Admission is $20 adults, $10 ages 4 to 11. http://keukenhof.nl.