In a vase on Monday: pink Muscari

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3 In a vase, Mar. 21, enclos*ure

This morning began with my three tiny pots of a pink variety of Muscari armeniaccum in the kitchen window — along with the Schnapps glasses that I’ve been collecting from our trips in the last year.

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.

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Then I moved the trio over to our rather skinny mantel.

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I also tried out a second pot of Muscaris there too.

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On the dining room table, I placed a row of daffodils (also from the flower market) and some supermarket red tulips.  I bought the assorted vases at a thrift shop recently, inspired by “pins” like this one.

Since I have been taking part in this meme, my vase “wardrobe” has increased tenfold, meaning I had none before and now I have ten (foreign service life is hard on glassware).

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Then I moved the rest of my tulip purchase to the dining room table. . .

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. . . and tried out the vase assortment on the mantel.

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Where it remains.

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Above is another pretty flower arrangement from this weekend’s Easter market in the nearby town of Degerloch.

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And on Saturday, I had my first Spargel stand sighting — at the Marktplatz farmers’ market.

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From now through May, everyone in Stuttgart will be eating lots of white asparagus.  Mmhh. . . lecker (delicious).

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

In a vase on Monday: grape hyacinths

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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.

Last sighes

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My Bloom Day tulips from Wednesday have faded into orchid-like shapes this morning.

And shall we not part at the end of day,
With a sigh, a smile?

— Ernest Dowson, from “April Love

Bloom Day in April: tulips

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A previous occupant of our house left us three or four clumps of orange-red and dark pink tulips. I’m enjoying the colors in our kitchen window and in the living room.

To see what’s blooming today for other garden bloggers, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.