Best Spring Flowering Bulbs to Plant in the Fall for Gorgeous Early Blooms

Spring flowering ornamentals give hope after a winter of quiet garden introspection – heralding the start of another gardening year with bursts of crisp, cool color. As every avid gardener knows, though, the success and vitality of spring flowering displays hinges on steps you take months earlier. For those of you who enjoy those bright and budding bursts of life, the best time to kickstart your spring flowering bulbs is the fall.

Perhaps you have a soft spot for the regal, ornamental splendor and variety of tulips, the unbridled fanfare of the yellow daffodil, the quiet yet delicate beauty of the snowdrop, or the flushed medley of abandon that is possible with the crocus? Whatever your preference, the flowers you grow in a spring bulb garden will come in all shapes and sizes – and can be planted either in sweeps of a single variety or a lasagne of assorted bulbs, breeds, textures and tonality.

So check out these flowering spring bulb varieties and get your favorites in the ground while conditions are still agreeable. That way, you can be sure of the finest, most uplifting spring flowering displays come the new year.

Choosing the Best Spring Flowering Bulbs

When choosing flowering spring bulbs, give some thought to flowering times and blooming windows for each of the spring bulbs flowers you wish to grow, as well as their impact in combination if you are adding bulbs to flower garden beds and borders. If you are growing in containers in a lasagne bulb planting style, consider the potential for overlapping, as well as the relative sizes of bulbs in the containers you have in mind. You may need to upscale your choice of container, or consider a raised bed, if you wish to grow multiples of several bulb varieties.

You will also need to give some thought to your USDA region and an understanding of your garden soil, as well as bulb preferences. It’s worth checking your soil in the fall before planting these early spring bulb flowers – doing this in autumn gives you a chance to amend and condition the earth if needed. Use a meter like the Raintrip 4-in-1 Meter from Amazon to test pH, nutrient loads and moisture levels. Condition the ground with a soil treatment like Miracle-Gro’s Performance Organics All-Purpose In-Ground soil amendment from Walmart. That way, you can be sure these early spring flowering bulbs will look their best and last for as long as possible.

1. Crocus

Lush tapestries of purple, gold and white crocus are an undeniable affirmation that spring is under way. Growing these spring flower bulbs is an easy way to create a dynamic floral spectacle without having to make too many planting concessions. Crocus plants can grow happily in gritty soils, partial shade, under trees and even in lawns. Just make sure you choose spring flowering crocus varieties, since there are also several autumn-flowering options available.

They look especially lovely spilling across borders in combination with grape hyacinths and daffodils, and are highly likely to naturalize where conditions are favorable. Go big and bountiful with Willard & May’s Mixed Giant Crocus Bulbs, available from Amazon.

2. Daffodil

Easy going and full of charm, the unbridled joy of daffodils is synonymous with springtime. Whether you plump for trad golden trumpets or unusual contemporary varieties with double blooms and frilly flowerheads, there are plenty of options to delight the spring flowering garden grower. Grow in well draining soil that is rich in compost or other organic material.

Once established, you won’t need to do much to keep these sublime spring favorites coming back. Dividing your daffs every few years will help them to return with renewed vigor but also help you to keep an element of control in your garden, as these buoyant beauties could otherwise take over. You can buy a range of pretty daffodil varieties as bulbs from Burpee, including enormous ‘Fortissimo’, frilly pink and white ‘Waltz’ and plentiful ‘100 Days’ mixed selections.

3. Snowdrop

Gorgeous galanthus are often mistaken as being the sole domain of woodlands, but as long as you can satisfy their love of dappled shade and humus-rich earth, they are perfectly suited to spring garden plantings. They love moist soil conditions, but ensure the ground or container is well draining to keep these spring bloomers happy.

The common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) and the giant snowdrop (G. elwesii) are common varieties, but there are many others, ranging in size and even coloring, from brightest white nodding flower heads to striped, gold-splashed options (like ‘Wendy’s Gold’) and green flecked blooms (like ‘Jaquenetta’). Try early-spring flowering Willard & May Galanthus Nivalis snowdrop bulbs from Amazon.

4. Muscari

Compact yet prolific, the grape hyacinth or muscari is one of the most generous and good natured bulbs you can grow. As long as you provide full or partial sun and well draining soil, these dinky delights are generally low maintenance and easy to establish and keep coming, whether you grow them in containers or in the ground.

You may commonly associate grape hyacinths with little purple or blue floral bonnets like ‘Soulmate’ or ‘Blue Grape’, but you can also see varieties with pink, white and yellow flowers. Especially unusual is ‘Lady Madonna’, with its creamy bonnets tinged in palest pink speckles. Buy blue Grape Hyacinth bulbs from Nature Hills in packs of 50, 25 or 12 bulbs. Muscari ornamentals are likely to naturalize in your garden, appearing in unexpected new corners as if by magic.

5. Allium

There are as many allium varieties as there are days of spring, so you’ll have no shortage of options if you wish to carve out a little space for these scene-stealing structural spring bloomers. Space is the critical factor here, as these highly prized ornamental onions don’t shrink into the corners of a yard, but stand assertively and proud, with even the more diminutive varieties commanding attention.

Ideal for USDA zones 4-10 and sunny spots, you can grow alliums in all manner of purples, pinks and whites, from sparkly bright ‘White Giant’ to fluffy purple ‘Millenium’. Some have a compact spherical shape, where others appear looser and frillier with star-shaped petals. Grow the earliest flowering varieties for a spring bulb garden. You can buy Garden State’s ‘Purple Sensation’ Allium bulbs from Walmart, but we also love ‘Globemaster’, ‘Giganteum’ and ‘Christophii’ alliums.

6. Fritillaria

Fritillaries make astonishing eye candy in spring gardens, whether you plump for delicate purple snake’s heads (Fritillaria meleagris) or emphatic orange or yellow crown imperials (F. imperialis). These hardy perennial bulbs have a ‘nodding’ quality to their flowerheads, with bell shaped blooms that can sometimes look like unassuming lilies of the valley, but other times like frilly, wide-toothed umbrellas.

Snake’s head fritillaria can naturalize on lawns for continuing purple and burgundy fritillary blooms. Meanwhile, crown imperials present with dazzling and towering reds and yellows like ‘Chopin’ and ‘Lutea’. You can buy Caribbean Garden’s Fritillaria ‘Rubra Maxima’ bulbs from Amazon for vibrant heirloom spring flowers.

7. Dutch Iris

Dutch iris (Iris x hollandica) is a striking spring bloomer, capable of impressive heights and proportions in beds and borders (although you can also get dwarf breeds if you have a more modest growing space). They prefer dry, sunny spots where they can receive full sun. Plant Dutch iris bulbs 5 inches (12cm) deep and 6 inches (15cm) apart to allow them to reach their full dynamic potential.

Colors range from regal blues and golds to richer bronze, pink and burgundy petal forms. You can buy Dutch Iris ‘Lion King’ bulbs from Burpee in bundles of 15, for uplifting gold and bronze floral flourishes. Dutch iris plants benefit from being divided every few years to keep them in check and ensure they keep flowering at their best.

8. Siberian Squill

Scilla siberica is perhaps the most easily identifiable of the squills, presenting with a delicate profusion of nodding (usually blue) star-shaped blooms, held against narrow leaves and purple-tinged stems. Siberian squills like well-drained, sandy soil in a sunny or partially sunny area and can grow 6 inches (15cm) high.

They also love grassy spots and will naturalize easily with little encouragement. Buy Hirts’ Siberian Squill Bulbs from Amazon in bundles of 15, hardy in USDA zones 2-10. These charming little spring bulbs flower for around three weeks and emit a pleasant fragrance. White flowering varieties like ‘Alba’ are becoming more common.

9. Early Anemone

There are some truly delightful early anemone varieties that bloom early in the gardening year, producing memorable swathes of color. The Grecian windflower (Anemone blanda) creates delicate daisy shapes, while the poppy anemone (A. coronaria), like its namesake suggests, has a more poppy-style petal style.

Plant in partial shade or full sun for generous spring-flowering displays, many of which are capable of perennial blossoms. Buy Anemone Windflower bulbs from Amazon for pink, blue and white blooms that easily flow across beds, borders and containers.

10. Tulips

There are so many tulip varieties worthy of mention, it would take all year to list them! Personal preferences will vary, but there is something immensely satisfying about the scope, texture, color and tonal range of tulip breeds and cultivars available for spring flowering gardens. Whether you incline towards rigid upright or frilly forms, fluffy balloons or pert lily contours, there’s absolutely something for all tastes.

Feathery parrots present with charmingly fringed petal shapes, while Triumph and Darwin hybrids tend towards simpler cup-shaped flower heads. Then there are also Kaufmanniana forms with intriguing star-shaped or waterlily dynamics. Depending on variety and USDA region, tulips prefer well drained soil that is rich in fertilizer. You’ll find some gorgeous tulip bulbs available at Burpee including fiery ‘Lorenzo’, darkest ‘Queen of Night’ and pretty ‘Double Shake’ pink spring flowering bulbs.

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