It's that time of the year again: bulb-planting season is upon us, and I've refreshed my list of the best places to buy spring bulbs.
If you’ve been wondering when to plant bulbs for spring, you can get some bulbs in the ground from September – and in my opinion, picking out the varieties you want to grow is one of the best parts. Of course, you could pop to your local garden centre and have a browse – but if you’re hoping to order them online, you’re probably wondering where to buy spring bulbs (or, at least, the best places to start).
Whether you’re looking for reliable favourites or classics in shapes and colours you've never seen before, here are some of my favourite places to shop for spring bulbs.
1. Peter Nyssen
Peter Nyssen is an online bulb supplier I've been paying a lot more attention to recently, because they offer really good value for money (you can buy 10 Tulip 'Queen of Night' bulbs for just £5.80) and over 60 years of experience. It's a small, family-run flower bulb business, and the bulbs are sourced directly from the Netherlands.
You can shop flower bulbs by category, and there's also an autumn planting collection section where you can browse beautiful sets like the Burnt Toffee Tulip Collection and the Silver Chimes Collection.
Peter Nyssen offers 10% off your first order when you join the mailing list. There's also free delivery on all orders over £50, which is a bonus if you're ordering lots of bulbs at once.
2. Crocus
Just one look at Crocus’ bulbs homepage will take your breath away – it’s beautifully laid out, and pretty much a portal to whichever spring flowers you want to grow in your garden, from classic tulips and daffodils to alliums, hyacinths and irises. There’s a huge selection available, including some really unique varieties, like Narcissus ‘Night Life’ (£7.99 for five bulbs).
You can even shop by colour, so if you’re hoping to grow spring bulbs for cut flowers, it’s easy to pick out a colour scheme.
I’m also a huge fan of Crocus’ tulip collections, like the Head Gardener’s Species Tulip Collection, which you can buy from £19.95. Or, if you’re looking for something a little more subtle, the Crème Fraiche Tulip Collection starts from £22.95.
3. Dutch Grown
Dutch Grown spans four generations (it's been in business since 1882), and has even exhibited in the famous Keukenhof Park in the Netherlands. It offers a huge selection of tulips (apparently, it's Britain's largest), and plenty of other bulbs too, from daffodils to anemones – all from its family farm in Holland.
For a business of its tenure, Dutch Grown has some unbelievably good deals. This Tulip Spring Romance Collection is just £11.20, for example, and you can pre-order 10 bulbs of the sweet Mini Daffodil 'Baby Moon' for £3.20. If you'll be placing a larger order, there's free shopping on orders over £50,
The only downside is that the autumn-planted bulbs are only available for pre-order and won't be dispatched until early October – but since many spring bulbs should be planted later in the season anyway, it's worth the wait.
4. Thompson & Morgan
Thompson & Morgan is another great place to buy spring bulbs at affordable prices, and you can browse each type of bloom from a dedicated bulbs and tubers page, or take a look at the bestselling varieties further down the page.
If you’re new to planting daffodils, you can start with the Narcissus Collection (from £14.99), or go for something a little different, like Narcissus ‘Citrus Sorbet’ (also from £14.99!), for colour and fragrance.
I bought some of my very first vegetable seeds and onion sets from Thompson & Morgan, so I know they’re a trusted brand – and I can’t wait to try out their spring bulbs!
5. Gardening Express
Gardening Express is home to almost every plant imaginable at affordable prices, and it’s got a solid flower bulbs section, too.
If you’re in need of some planting design inspiration, there’s a page dedicated to designer collections which create showstopping displays when planted together. There’s also an impressive range of bulb planting tools and accessories to choose from, if you’re in need of some new kit.
Bulb planting kit
I'm using this bulb planter to plant spring bulbs in my garden border this year.
This long-handled bulb planter is perfect for planting bulbs in the lawn.
If you'll be planting your bulbs in pots, this compost is top-rated.
Wherever you choose to shop, stocking up on spring bulbs now means you'll thank yourself when your garden bursts into colour next year.
And if you're interested in adding an extra surprise come spring, you'll not regret planting these unusual bulbs.
