Did you Google it? I'm seeing several resources for you to explore. I searched Heirloom Flowers. Heirloom Bulbs.

Even googled, I only come up with 2 viable sources, Old Garden, down south and VanBourgandien(hope I got those names right), which really only has 5 heirloom bulbs listed. Everything else is either repeats, or informational articles.

I was hoping for personal references, with positive previous ordering experiences?

Templeflower ;)

Try Old House Gardens on the web. I have not ordered from them, but they have a good reputation....I keep thinking i have enough bulbs...
I have ordered from VanEngelen (also on the web www.vanengelen.com) with good results. They have a wholesale catalog - no photos - but the Scheepers "sister" retail company catalog does. They have some very old bulbs and if they are heirloom or special in some way, the description tells you. I got "Hawera" daffodils last fall and they were lovely :-) as well as other old varieties of tulips and minor bulbs. My only regret is that they do not have colchicum which I'd like to try this year, nor Crocus sativum (saffron)
But, really I have too many already

Happy shopping
Maryanne in WMass

Here is a link that might be useful: old house gardens

In my opinion there is ONLY one place from which to order TRUE heirloom bulbs. That is Old House Gardens. There is also no place better on the web with which to do business. Scott Kunst, the owner and 'head gardener' is passionate about saving old bulbs and their catalog is a testament to what he has been able to accomplish working with sources all around the world. Many of the other catalogs do NOT have true stock -- Scott grows out and confirms ALL stock and is more knowledgeable than anyone else in this country about old bulbs. He also works closely with the folks at the Hortus Bulborum in Holland which is saving and keeping old bulbs alive -- including what are left of the true 'broken' bulbs. You will learn more from his catalog and website than you can imagine about why to buy bulbs from OHG than elsewhere and you can always talk with/e-mail scott with any questions. The service is without equal and the knowledge of Scott and his staff beyond compare. I thought everyone knew about OHG but if you don't, please pass the word. This is also the best and most entertaining and informative gardening catalog I have ever received. I have ordered from them for years, spend hundreds of dollars per order and have always had the BEST service and the BEST bulbs I have ever received from any source.

I agree. If you check Garden Watchdog online, you will see that Old House Gardens is one of the 30 highest rated mail order plant/seed/bulb/garden companies. You can read what others have to say about them. I thought everyone knew about Old House Gardens and their wonderful bulbs but I guess not so I am glad you asked this question, as we all start thinking about fall and planting bulbs. The thing that makes them different from a lot of big commercial places is the accuracy of the research and the bulbs they sell. They are truly heirloom bulbs.

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I have been drooling over the Old House Gardens web site. Unfortunately, I feel a little like the kid with their nose pressed up against the candy store window- lots of things I love, but little that I can have. Every time see something I love, it end up being too temperate for my freezing zone 4 weather- but that shouldn't surprise, considering they're way down south!! Thank goodness that they do offer a few selections for my area... I'm eyeing some of the those crocus bulbs, but all those daffodil selections just keep laughing at me- zone 5, zone 6 zone 7... ah what I wouldn't give for a more mild winter in MN!

Templeflower :)

Old House Gardens is in Michigan, not far from you at all. MI is Michigan, not Mississippi. I would think many of those bulbs would be fine where you are.

Dear Templeflower:
Just to clarify: OHG is not "way down South" unless you consider Ann Arbor, Michigan to be "way down South from YOU". They are certainly no further south than the other suppliers mentioned whose stock, let alone knowledge of heirlooms, does not begin to compare.
Also, please know that OHG is VERY conservative with their zone ranges and I have successfully grown many bulbs in my zone 5 garden which they rate hardy to zone 6. Also please remember that many of the heirlooms, especially daffs, hail from the British Isles which are warmed by the surrounding water so hardy to zone 5 is not surprising for these. If OHG does not have a sufficient selection of heirloom bulbs hardy to zone 4 no one else will either.
If I were you I would e-mail Scott and ask his advice, being sure to state if you have a sheltered spot to plant and/or an area near the house with a microclimate etc. He loves to assist customers with just these kinds of concerns and you will be glad you contacted him. Just e-mail: charlie@oldhousegardens.com. (Charlie is their cat and that is the address they use for public e-mail.) I had already shared with Scott that I had responded to your message so just say you are the person who was inquiring about heirloom bulbs on GardenWeb and he will get the message and respond promptly.
Also I have grown many of what OHG sells so if you have a list of what you CAN grow, I'd be glad to tell you which of what I've grown are my favorites.
Really, e-mail Scott -- you'll be glad you did and after working with him and getting your first order you'll understand why we are all so positive about OHG. You won't find this kind of knowledge or service from any other bulb supplier, I can guarantee that! I know it's hard sometimes to live where the options are limited but that is not because of OHG's selection but simply relfects the somewhat more limited bulbs which are hardy in extreme cold. On the other hand, it could be worse. I was just reading about an historic iris hybridizer who had been cultivating tulips until she moved to California and found she could not grow tulips because there was no cold weather. She could not grow ANY of the bulbs she had grown for so many years, so had to switch to iris.
Contact Scott and I know he'll help in everyway possible. Vikki

Thanks for the response Vikki- for some reason, I got the impression that they were down in TX... Certainly, MI is not down south, well... too far anyways! :) I'll contact Scott and see what he thinks of my chances with some of the daffodils I'm coveting... I've got the perfect spot all picked out...

What I really want for christmas (er.. fall planting season)
Hoop petticoat daffodils
Poeticus Daffodils
English bluebells
crocus (I'm thinking of that heirloom carpet package OHG has)

Does anyone know if crocus are sensitive to the toxin Juglone, which is emmitted from black walnut trees? I'd love to do a crocus underplanting beneath very 3 very lovely, very mature black walnuts, but I'm not sure they'd survive, due to the juglone in the soil...

Templeflower :)

Hi, the link below is to a list of juglone TOLERANT plants which is actually from the University of Wisconsin! Crocus are fine as are hyacinths, tulips and daffs. It is a great list. Your plans sound lovely. The hoop petticoats are fabulous as are the poeticus of couse, which are also fragrant, which I love. Think seriously about Thalia or Shot Silk (Thalia is older) but both are lovely, fragrant and Thalia at least is very cold tolerant. It is a beautiful beautiful daff. Not as old as some, but not new by any means. Also think about Rip Van Winkle -- just a delightful little guy that is petite and fun and old and cheap and EVERYONE comments on! It would be lovely amidst the crocus and English bluebells. In fact because it is small it is likely what I would plant amongst what you are thinking about. I have a very small yard and am always envious of folks who can plan larger plantings like this under a tree etc. I have a cottage style garden that has to be jampacked to maximize space. Scott will have good ideas and I was so glad to see that the bulbs you are thinking of will work well. I am not sure (don't have catalog here) if Negro Boy is hardy in your zone. But if so, be SURE to get some of those -- as the catalog says, unfortunate name but FABULOUS crocus. My all time favorite dotted among the lighter purples and lavenders. Enjoy! Vikki

Here is a link that might be useful: Juglone Tolerant List

I'm another vote for Old House Gardens and all ordering that I've done from them in the past was when I lived in St. Paul,MN, zone 4b. I found that Scott has quite a bit to choose from but I do know that the bulb offerings that work in zone 4 change from yr to yr. I"ve had great luck with their crocus and daffodils. Now I live outside Chicago, have moved one zone and my order for fall bulbs from them has already been placed. And, oh, by the way...just about everything is south compared to Minnesota!!!

I realize this is a very old thread, but I just thought I would mention that we grow authentic heirloom flower bulbs in Texas. All of our stock has been rescued from old homesites and construction sites - so they've been around for over 100 years. Our website is www.southernbulbs.com - the Southern Bulb Company.

Here is a link that might be useful: Heirloom Flower Bulbs

OHG is fab!
I always feel like the one with my nose against the glass, though--many of my personal favs can't be grown in 8/9 Texas!

I know this doesn't help the original poster, but has anyone looked in the new edition (2007) of Scott Ogden's Garden Bulbs for the South? The old edition I think had a "sources" section in the back.

gaultney--I looked at your site--looks like you have a lot of variety! Nice to see so many crinums. Thanks for sharing!

Another source for Heirloom bulbs is www.bayoucityheirloombulbs.com.