Autumn is the best time to plant spring flowering bulbs, and you'll want to plant summer-flowering varieties in the spring. It helps to plan ahead, so you have your selection of bulbs ordered and delivered in time for planting.
There are lots of wonderful nurseries both in the UK and in Europe who have an amazing range of spring bulbs for sale online and in store. If you're looking to buy bulbs and need advice on planting, it might be worth visiting a garden nursery and talking to the staff so you can choose the right bulbs for your garden situation.
This list includes many award-winning and specialist nurseries and if you can visit, it's worth it to see the amazing array of bulbs on offer.
Need inspiration for a bulb spring border design? Download our designer plan.
Best places to buy flower bulbs online in the UK
Sarah Raven
Helpful site for making stylish choices of bulb combinations, perfect for the garden and also the cutting garden. Sarah tries and tests all the collections she offers, and adds new choices to the list each year to reflect current styles and trends.
There’s also a section for more naturalised displays and a selection for indoor growing. Search for Sarah’s article ‘Pollinator Super Plants’ for extra advice on pollinator plant choices.
Browse sarahraven.com
Avon Bulbs
The impressive Avon Bulbs stand at RHS Malvern Spring Show.
Regular award winner with an impressive range of bulbs that includes many favourites alongside more unusual bulbs, rhizomes and corms, such as Dichelostemma from northwest America and the star-like Ornithogalum, including O. pyrenaicum or Bath asparagus, native to the west of England. Good pollinator-friendly choices are flagged up with a bee logo.
Browse avonbulbs.co.uk
Bloms Bulbs
Trading in bulbs and plants for 160 years with an extensive range of spring-flowering bulbs including old favourites and new cultivars that have proven their worth.
Browse blomsbulbs.com
Here's head gardener Troy Scott Smith on layering your planting of bulbs
Broadleigh Bulbs
Full range of bulbs including exclusive collections chosen for specific locations or themes. But perhaps the real joy here is the Special Bulb List of more unusual choices, including an extensive selection of miniature daffodils, which are proving increasingly popular.
Browse broadleighbulbs.co.uk
Dobies
With over 125 years of experience behind it, Dobies has been selling seeds, plants and tools since 1894. The retailer separates its bulbs into convenient categories, including indoor, naturalising and colour-themed collections. You'll also find specific varieties such as alliums and gladioli.
Browse dobies.co.uk
DutchGrown
With four generations of experience DutchGrown promise only bulbs of the highest quality, being top-size bulbs, to ensure optimum performance. They offer a unique assortment of flower bulbs to be planted in Autumn: tulip, narcissi, crocus, allium and hyacinth bulbs being the most familiar but further specialities include scilla (bluebells), Leucojum (summer snowflake), Eremurus (foxtail lily), anemone, Muscari (grape hyacinth) and Fritillaria.
Plus, their handy on-site 'Bestsellers' section allows you to quickly find what's on trend. All bulbs are shipped across the UK and the EU directly to your doorstep from their family farm in Holland.
Browse dutchgrown.co.uk
Cambo
Renowned for its snowdrops, Cambo, located in Fife, Scotland, has been voted as Best Supplier of Bulbs ‘in the green’ by Which? Gardening. You’ll need to wait until just after flowering in spring for the clumps of snowdrops to be dug up from the Cambo Estate’s woodland and be offered for sale. However, you can order ‘damp packed’ snowdrops now for autumn planting.
Browse cambogardens.com
Crocus
Search under ‘organic bulbs’ for an increasing choice of spring-flowering bulbs that have been sustainably grown without the use of pesticides (including neonicotinoids). This also includes dahlia tubers (available from winter).
Browse crocus.co.uk
De Jager
An established supplier for more than 150 years, and with 720 varieties available, including the rare and unusual Pancratium maritimum or sea daffodil, found in the wild on sandy Mediterranean shores. Insect-friendly choices are flagged up with the RHS Perfect for Pollinators logo.
Browse dejager.co.uk
Fruit Hill Farm
Ireland’s organic farm and garden specialist – also delivering to the UK – offers a range of certified organic spring-flowering bulbs – and (for veg growers) garlic too, which is another bulb that’s worth planting in the autumn.
Browse fruithillfarm.com
Gardening Direct
Gardening Direct is a great place to shop for unusual varieties and pre-made mixes. Use the refine tool on the left to find award-winning bulbs and filter the list according to the 'planting' or 'blooming' month.
Browse gardeningdirect.co.uk
Gardening Express
Chris Bonnett launched Gardening Express when he was still a teenager, keen to improve the world of online flower shopping. His site has a good selection of different bulbs – and if your favourite ones aren't there, the Gardening Express team can advise you on where to find them.
Browse gardeningexpress.co.uk
Great Dixter
The nursery at the garden sells a small selection of bulbs for autumn planting. These have been supplied by other trusted bulb companies but you can be assured that the choices here will be good ones and thoroughly proven in their garden worthiness by the Dixter gardeners.
Browse greatdixter.co.uk
Hare Spring Cottage Plants
Run by expert Stella Exley, Hare Spring holds the National Collection of Camassia and as such has an excellent supply of camassia cultivars for sale as bulbs from the popular Camassia ‘Blue Heaven’ with its rich lavender-blue flowers to a rare pale-pink cultivar.
Browse harespringcottageplants.co.uk
Harts Nursery
Good range of bulbs from this award-winning nursery with a number of new introductions to the 2020 range and planting advice for each genus. While you are perusing the spring-flowering selection, note that Harts is known for its award-winning displays of lilies so take a look at its range, including oriental lilies, species lilies and martagon types (order this winter for delivery and planting come spring).
Browse hartsnursery.co.uk
Jacques Amand
Large and wide-ranging selection of autumn-planted bulbs, especially narcissi and tulips, including a good selection of species tulips. Nursery at Clamp Hill in Middlesex can also be visited for picking up orders.
Browse jacquesamandintl.com
J Parker’s
Reliable selection of bulbs here to satisfy both the expert and those keen to try out bulb growing for the first time. There’s a handy RHS Award-Winning tulip category, corralling together those options that have been given an Award of Garden Merit helping you make good, tried-and-tested choices. Read our expert guide to growing tulips.
Browse jparkers.co.uk
Natural Bulbs
As a Dutch company working with a small group of organic growers, Natural Bulbs offers a good range of spring-flowering bulbs, including a selection specifically chosen for bumblebees and bees, and another with varieties chosen for their suitability to naturalising and landscaping schemes.
Browse naturalbulbs.co.uk
Nijssen Bulbs
Dutch bulb company with plenty of choice of bulb varieties including a large range of historic tulips and specially chosen Bee-Friendly selection packs. Do take into account the cost of delivery to the UK, but this established bulb nursery uses no neonicotinoids and has a page outlining the company’s environmental approaches to growing bulbs on a large scale.
Browse nijssentuin.nl
Organic Bulbs
Garden designers Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt, creators of the Best Show Garden garden at the 2022 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, set up Organic Bulbs to offer gardeners a stylish selection of ecologically friendly bulbs – all pesticide and chemical free with a particular emphasis on bulbs that look good in naturalised schemes and return year on year.
Browse organicbulbs.com
The Organic Gardening Catalogue
Along with its full range of organic seeds, veg, fruit and plants, the Organic Gardening Catalogue includes a small but perfectly formed collection of organically produced bulbs, including the insect-pleasing Camassia leichtlinii.
Browse organiccatalogue.com
Peter Nyssen
Over 60 years in the business, Peter Nyssen has moved with the times and now guarantees that its spring-flowering bulbs are neonicotinoid free and packaging is biodegradable where possible. Good for bulk buying too, with free delivery on orders over £100.
Browse peternyssen.com
Pottertons
An expert in dwarf bulb cultivars. While some species are better suited to the expert grower able to provide specific conditions, there’s plenty for the general enthusiast too and the chance to really extend your range of spring-interest flowers.
Browse pottertons.co.uk
Riverside Bulbs
Suffolk-based Riverside Bulbs have a very wide selection of bulbs on offer at prices that are not at all harsh on the wallet. Many of the bulbs offered by Matt, Imogen and Sally Long are on the larger side, so will likely add drama to any border they are placed in.
Browse riversidebulbs.co.uk
Scamps Daffodils
This multi award-winning, family business based in Cornwall, is best known for its daffodils – although it also offers other bulbs. Expert and owner Ron Scamp has daffodils for sale in all 13 of the RHS divisions along with descriptions of what distinguishes each of those divisions and an interesting selection of historic examples.
Browse qualitydaffodils.com
Shipton Bulbs
Based in Wales, Shipton specialises in garden-worthy bulbs native to the British Isles and bulbs originating elsewhere that are also suitable for naturalising in this country. These will all be reliable choices for UK growing success.
Browse shiptonbulbs.co.uk
Suttons
Suttons has been around since 1806, and has since earned a Royal warrant, as well as numerous awards. The retailer has hundreds of bulbs in its collection, and makes it easy to find favourites quickly, thanks to the filter tool on the left. You'll find plenty of gorgeous varieties here.
Browse suttons.co.uk
Van Meuwen
Founded by Dutch horticulturalist Aart Alders, Van Meuwen has a great collection of bulbs. See its woodland bulbs category for plants that'll thrive in dappled shade, or search by variety if you've got a particular plan in mind.
Browse vanmeuwen.com
Waitrose Garden
We all know Waitrose for its grocery stores, but did you know the retailer runs an online gardening shop too? You can find everything from outdoor furniture to tools and bird boxes, as well as a huge selection of quality plants, seeds and bulbs.
Browse waitrosegarden.com
Planning next year's display? For ideas and inspiration, see our round-up of the best spring bulbs to plant in autumn.
Or, if you're looking for plants, check out our favourite places to buy plants online.