On Saturday, I wandered around the downtown Stuttgart flower market admiring all the blooming spring bulbs — which were being sold both potted and as cut flowers (pictures below). I bought some cut tulips and then went to Butler’s for a vase and another container of seashell chips. On the way home, I stopped at a florist and bought a little pot of forced Muscari, or grape hyacinth, bulbs.
I think I should have set the bulbs lower in the vase, but I didn’t want to disturb their rootball, which I covered with the chips.
Click on any thumbnail in the gallery below to scroll through photos of the flower market.
To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.
The flower market at Schillerplatz.
Tulips — 6.50 euros for 10.
Potted forced dark blue irises.
Potted primroses in almost every color are a feature of the markets and florists right now.
Potted forced Fritillaria meleagris.
Cut tulips and Narcissus.
Cut Narcissus.
A potted lime green Chrysanthemum.
This stall had the prettiest colored cut Hyacinths, Muscaris, and tulips.
Cut Muscaris.
Cut Dutch hyacinths.
Potted forced tulips and Fritallarias. This was in the farmers’ market in the square in front of the Rathaus, or Town Hall.
I caught this woman in mid-step. I love the colors of her outfit.
Potted forced Narcissus and Dutch hyacinths.
The “ingredients” of my Muscari arrangement.
On the coffee table in our living room.
The baskets are from Rwanda.
enclos*ure 
Cheerful reminders of spring.
The market was the only spring-like place in Stuttgart this weekend, I’m afraid. March has been colder and damper than February. Snow flurries are predicted for today.
That flower market is to die for! I took a pot of Muscari and washed the dirt off and put them in a flower brick with water and they were OK.
I think they’re pretty tough little bulbs.
Not only is the flower market great, but you should see the vegetable stands (Tues., Thurs., Sat.) and the flea market (Sat. only) on adjacent town squares.
Amazing to see the flower market pictures, Cindy, and how lovely to be able to watch the muscari coming into bloom in the house in your little vase. I am wondering if you could grow them ths way from scratch…
There’s a method for forcing them here, on Gardenista: http://www.gardenista.com/posts/diy-how-to-force-muscari-bulbs
Oh thanks Cindy – I will look it up
What a lovely way to spend a Sunday! All those flowers were beautiful but I was most impressed by those green chrysanthemums.
They really drew my eye too. Very glamourous.
What a treat for the eyes that many flowers and colors!!! I love muscat is and they look great in the arrangement, so the tulips.
The market flowers really were a treat, since the day was otherwise so grim.
oh, that little penguin is cute!
My late mother-in-law bought it a long time ago for her mother, who loved penguins. Now it lives with us.
Hi Cindy. Lovely spring flowers. I am also in Germany – in Bavaria, not far from Regensburg – and just took a look back at your posts tagged with Germany. Stuttgart Christmas market was the first I ever saw, many years ago as a student working south of the city, and it left a lasting impression on me!
[…] I don’t remember where I bought the little clay pots — probably at a thrift store back in Maryland more than ten years ago. The Muscaris came from the Schillerplatz Saturday flower market. […]