When I'm looking for a new fruit tree, these are the 5 stockists I check first as a Gardens Editor

Wondering where to buy fruit trees? If you’re hoping to order a tree online this month, there are plenty of trustworthy suppliers to choose from.

Fruit tree shopping is really exciting – there’s nothing like bringing a new tree home, full of potential and with years of cropping ahead. We’re fast approaching the best time to plant fruit trees, too – so it’s time to start browsing!

To point you in the direction of some favourite stockists of mine, I’ve pulled together a list of the best places to buy fruit trees right now.

1. Thompson & Morgan

Thompson & Morgan really is a jack of all trades when it comes to plants and gardening products, and its selection of fruit trees is just huge.

From classic apples and pears to exotic fruit trees like Pomegranate ‘Provence’, I feel truly spoilt for choice when I'm browsing Thompson & Morgan’s fruit tree range. You can buy many of the trees potted, so they’ll crop a lot faster – but if you’re keen to start from scratch with a bare-root tree, there’s a wide range of rootstocks available. That way, you can be sure your tree won’t outgrow the space you have (if you pick a dwarfing rootstock, at least).

If you’ve got room, you can even grow a patio orchard with this mini fruit tree collection – it includes apples, a plum, a pear, and even a cherry tree.

2. B&Q

B&Q has an impressive range of fruit trees, too. I recently spoke to B&Q’s head of horticulture, Mark Sage, who gave me a masterclass in real Christmas trees (more on that soon!), and I came away feeling certain that the fruit tree range is in good hands, too.

In fact, B&Q is one of my go-to stockists when it comes to buying any tree. Whether you’re looking for a patio fruit tree to suit a small garden, like Plum ‘Opal’, or an established lime tree, there’s an option to tick pretty much any box.

3. Crocus

I’m a huge fan of Crocus for its enormous selection of seeds, plants and gardening tools, and the fruit trees are just another string to its bow.

Beautiful imagery aside, there are some really interesting fruit trees in the range. Dwarf mulberry ‘Mojo Berry’ is a unique choice for a pot on a patio, while Apple ‘Rosette’ produces fruits which are marbled pink inside (and apparently, it’s one of the tastiest pink-fleshed varieties out there).

Crocus is one of my favourite places to buy spring bulbs, too.

4. J. Parker's

J. Parker’s always sells affordable yet quality plants, and the fruit tree range gets my vote of approval, too.

You can browse by fruit type, and there’s even a page dedicated to patio and dwarf fruit trees if you’ve got a small garden. This miniature patio fruit trees collection is just £29.97 right now.

For larger spaces, you can grab the Complete Orchard Collection, which includes four fruit trees (an apple, pear, plum and cherry) for just under £50. Bargain!

5. Gardening Express

If you’re looking for variety, Gardening Express is another brilliant place to buy fruit trees.

Both bare-root and container-grown trees are available, and there’s a huge range of varieties for almost every fruit tree imaginable, from apricots, peaches and nectarines to Mediterranean fruits like figs, olives and pomegranates. If you're looking for easier fruit trees to grow, like apples and pears, there's plenty of choice there, too.

Better yet, Gardening Express often knocks down the prices of its fruit trees as part of its special deals – so it’s worth checking back now and then to see if you can spot any steals!

Which fruit trees have you got your eye on this year?