Residence Flower Market

My visit to the Amsterdam Flower Market was disappointing. It has a lively reputation, but the tulips we bought didn't match what had been advertised. The color mix was wrong: instead of the variety we had carefully chosen, they were just ordinary white and red. That left us unhappy with the purchase and took away from the experience. It's disheartening when such an iconic place doesn't deliver the floral selection it promises.

There are hardly any flowers here for bouquets. Most of the market is souvenirs and plants to grow. Luckily, there are more traditional shops along the other side, where I picked up cheese and waffles for the family. The last stall is the prettiest for photos.

I came in early November, so there weren't fresh flowers, but I was after bulbs and found a fantastic selection. The shops can look alike, especially with their souvenirs, yet different places have slightly different bulbs and their prices and offers vary too. Some of the larger bulbs are sold one at a time. From an impressive range of colors and shapes, I picked 10 large tulip bulbs for €3.50.

Not one of the tulips, peonies, or mini trees, including the bonsai and magnolia, grew. I bought them from three different vendors, so I didn't expect to get scammed by a market right in the middle of the city. I only started reading the reviews afterward. By comparison, the tulip bulbs I bought from the famous keukenhof garden are thriving beautifully.