I would also like to know where to buy some inexpensive paperwhites, freesias or hyacinths for forcing. Might try forcing lily of the valley if I can get the pips.

After forcing in potting soil, they will be put in a window then planted out, dug up in fall and cleaned, then forced again next winter. I'd rather not pay top dollar though just in case they don't make it.

I highly recommend Brent and Beckys Bulbs and McClure and Zimmerman. There are lots of other good companies too. You can do a search and come up with loads of threads on this question. It's too late to purchase spring blooming bulbs now. But, it won't be long until the summer bloomers are available. I am starting to get catalogs now. Next year, start looking for spring bulbs in late summer (up north) or early to mid fall in Florida. Tumblingtomatoes, you'll do yourself a favor to do some research on what bulbs do well in Florida. Most spring blooming bulbs require at least some winter cold to do well. (and that's the sum total of my knowledge about gardening in Florida! :)

I will be in Cocoa Beach in March. If you are any where near there, I can bring you some Priscilla Glads and some no-id iris.

I do not have any tuberose, but I have a feeling yours will be okay.

Kathy

Donnabaskets, thanks for the names of some good companies to purchase from & the tip on FLorida! :)
Kathy, I am about 25 min from Cocoa Beach, maybe just a bit farther? I'd love some if you are able to! Thanks! Email me when you are here!
Any info on how to serperate the baby bulbs off of the big one for tuberoses? Thanks all!

In zone 4, it's too late to buy bulbs by mail order for forcing, isn't it? Why is that? Would some bulbs be killed by freezing if left in an unheated area during shipping?

A few companies, M&Z for one, offer paperwhites for forcing, but don't say if they ship them now in Jan or make you wait until spring. No company seems to have hyacinths now.

Before you buy from any company, do a search for them on GardenWatchDog.com. They have ratings from gardeners on there, and the good companies really stand out from the poor ones.

Also, if you're looking for deals, be sure to check back here around October/November. We often post leads.

Have fun!

happyday, by this late in the season most bulb suppliers are sold out of spring flowering bulbs or what they have left are the dregs and not worth buying. Even bulbs for forcing should have been started sometime ago (the common recommendation is by the end of October)....most require at least 8 weeks of a chill period (some even longer - hyacinths need 12-13 weeks) and then there's some regular growing time involved. So if planted today, you're looking at somewhere in the middle of April at the earliest before these bulbs might be expected to bloom.....not much earlier, if at all, from when they'd bloom naturally in the ground.

Paperwhites are a bit different - they require no chill period, are usually already sprouted when purchased and often bloom within a couple of weeks of being planted indoors. And since they are not reliably hardy outdoors in much of the country, I'd expect M&Z to ship these bulbs out now.

thanks very much for all the good info! I apprecaite it lots! :)