The municipality of Katwijk consists of five districts: Katwijk aan den Rijn, Katwijk aan Zee, Katwijk Noord, Rijnsburg and Valkenburg. Each district comprises several neighbourhoods. One such neighbourhood in Katwijk is ‘De Zanderij’. The name ‘De Zanderij’ derives from the sand extraction from the dunes. At the start of the seventeenth century, when various towns in the west of the country began to expand into larger cities, there was a great need for fill sand. Excavating the dune sand left behind a lower, damp layer of sand that lay just above the water table. This soil proved to be very fertile, and so this site became suitable for growing fruit and vegetables and cultivating flower bulbs. For many years, this was a unique place where many well-known Kattek-Binders (residents of ‘Katwijk Binnen’, or Katwijk aan den Rijn) worked.

The artist Marjolein Sterkenburg drew inspiration from this. One of the reference works she used is the former artwork made by the Katwijk artist Ouwehand – van der Vijver. On the Giant Tulip Bulb, you will find familiar landmarks, such as the water tower, ‘De Geregtigheid’ windmill and the spire of the Roman Catholic church.