Your tulips in a window box may be a little tall. Mine average between 24 and 30 inches. Look for a short grower. Our winter temperature is not quite cold enough to provide the needed chilling and we refrigerate ours for 10 weeks before planting. In a window box you should think of your bulbs as annuals and when the bloom is over throw them out and next year buy new ones. Al

violetta1976, rather than go into a long disortation here, let me just say:
1) it will depend on your zone as to whether or not it will work.
2) If you wish to save the buibs, they will not be ready to dig before you are ready to plant Annuals in the spring.

There's some good information at the link below on this subject.

Here is a link that might be useful: jerrysplants.com

Much thanks to you both.

My "window boxes" are actually balcony boxes. They're just plain plastic boxes resting on metal holders, and I could easily have different boxes for bulbs and annuals.

I have a storage room next to the balcony where the bulb boxes could be stored over the summer, although I'm worried that it might get too hot and dark in there. Any thoughts? If that wouldn't work, maybe I could put them to the side on a small set of shelves where they would still get sun... just brainstorming here, any ideas or suggestions would be welcome. :0)

I've been wondering about this myself. I've seen alot of bulbs that I'd love to plant, but I live in an apartment now and can't plant anything in the ground. Is it OK to plant bulbs in containers? If so, when? Should I do it now and leave them outside over the winter?

I know that bulbs can grow beautifully in containers, and yes, you can plant them now and leave them outside over the winter. :0)

That's great news. I was concerned they'd freeze solid. Now I can grab some of these wonderful tulips I keep seeing everywhere! Thanks!

I've grown both daffodils and tulips in containers with success. However, the second year, they have only given a few flowers. -Be careful about planting tall tulips in something that you can turn a bit each day, as they will otherwise tilt.
Not long ago, I read, that a major reason for tulips to only flower the first year or two, is that they are meant to be kept VERY dry in the summer. If they get rain (or you water them) during the summer, the bulb will divide, and the new smaller bulbs will not be strong enough to give new flowers for several years. Therefore, give them lots of water and nutrition until they wilt, and then keep them dry until the autumn. Some tulips are better at NOT dividing than others.... do a search for perennial tulips. or maybe you could try some of the botanical ones.... these should still be kept dry over the summer, but are said to live for many years. -often the botanical types, tend to not grow as tall as most hybrids.
If you don't care about having to change the bulbs each year, you could also just plant bulbs or tubers on top of them, that will add flowers to the pot later in the season.... that is what I'm, trying this autumn. I'm planting a pot, with two kinds of crocus, three kinds of daffodils, three kinds of tulips, and adding some anemones as the summer element.

About my previous post: the sentence, "Be careful about planting tall tulips in something that you can turn a bit each day, as they will otherwise tilt." should be "Be careful TO PLANT tall tulips in something that you can turn a bit each day, as they will otherwise tilt." -Sorry about that... English is only my second language.

BTW, Violetta! About putting the containers in a dark place... Once the plants have wilted, you can store them anywhere, also in your storage room (without their leaves, they of course don't need light)... Maybe just water them once a month, or so, after the soil has been rock hard for a while. In nature you find plants like tulips and crocuses in Turkey and Greece.... places with wet winters and springs, and scorching hot summers..... So they should also be able to deal with a hot shed.
It should be said, that I'm no expert in these matters, I'm just giving some pointers that you might find useful, and that I think might work, hoping you'll be inspired to experiment! GOOD LUCK!

Thanks vgtar! That was very useful. :0)

Upon further thinking, I've decided that I'm going to leave my bulbs in place all summer. I have them in boxes with a small boxwood bush in the middle and I think in the spring, once the foliage from the bulbs are gone, I'll plant a groundcover over them. That will leave me with minimum work (and finance) that I need to put into the boxes each year, which definitely appeals to me.

Side note: I realized I planted fall crocuses by accident instead of spring ones. D'oh!