If you order them now most places aren't even open for shipping yet. When you find a place you like, they usually have a shipping calendar based on your zone. You would probably look to receive your bulbs sometime in October.

End of season sales for fall planted/spring blooming bulbs is usually not until Christmas or later.......often when it is too cold for much of the country to plant. Then you have to hold them until the ground thaws which is usually too late for any sort of proper bloom. My feeling is get 'em while you can! I receive bulb catalogs in early summer and I order then - waiting too long can result in the varieties you really want being sold out and thy only ship when zone appropriate. In my climate, I can plant any time through winter but still do not rely on end of season sales - I do not care to risk just getting leftovers.

Some places don't ship until Fall...but some ship as soon as you order. One place I like has somewhat erratic shipping policies. (Ships some time between two weeks and one month from when you order...but there prices are good and they sell stuff I can't find elsewhere).

Places that specialize in bulbs may have their sales later, but some stores that sell plants have "end of season" sales now, and occasionally some bulbs end up in the sale bin. I just got a great deal on a potted Nodding Onion I'm not sure what to do with...

I've been told August is a terrible time to plant bulbs, but I've never tried it. I've had some good luck planting things in November and January, surprisingly. (We had a warm early-winter last year).

I'm also kinda cheap.

This post was edited by edlincoln on Fri, Aug 23, 13 at 10:44