I would think you SHOULD leave them outside in the winter. You say the urns are large, so plant the bulbs toward the center of the pot if you're afraid they will freeze. But most bulbs need that winter chill to trigger them to bloom in the spring. (Hyacinths and tulips actually need to be chilled in the fridge for 6 to 8 weeks to bloom here.) You should water them through the winter if you don't get rain. Most years, we get enough rain that I don't have to water my bulb pots. Stick your finger in the soil once in awhile. If it's dry, water. Your urns will look more attractive throughout the winter if you can plant some cool season annuals in them too: pansies, snapdragons, forget me nots, lobelia are all good here. Check around for what works in your area (if any).

I had the same problem , though not quite as bad as yours. I tried sprinkling cayenne pepper but they just dug through it. One reader here suggested putting large rocks over the area you planted, and this sounds to me the best way, other than using cages (who wants to go through all that trouble of cutting, forming and burying cages). With all the leaves falling off the trees now, you could try mulching newly planted corms (most of them are on sale now too)with a foot of leaves, see if they bother to dig through that. And if you chase them away everytime you see them, perhaps they may associate your garden with having a risk of getting eaten and avoid it if they have easier targets (my neighbours must wonder why i run out of the house in my morning robes so often making a shhhh noise, then go back as quickly back into the house). Once the ground is frozen solid, u're safe. Now comes the next challenge, apparently i hear those demon tree rats eat crocus leaves and flowers too....here we go again....

You are correct about the bad pruning. Plants should never be pruned by removing just the outer growth. Whenever a plant is pruned, it encourages growth at the cut point. That is why all of your growth is at the end of the branches and there is none in the center. Improper pruning will also result in damaged edges as leaves are cut resulting in brown/yellow edges. A good pruner will 'pluck-prune'. You must do each branch individually. Cut each branch at a different depth. This will encourage growth at many levels of the plant. I would try this method and see how they look in a few months. You will be surprised at how well plants respond to proper pruning, especially boxwoods. However, if they look 'scalped' with branches showing through because their is not enough foliage, I would give them a year to grow new foliage and recover a bit. The yellowing, if caused by the winter, should grow out. If the one plant is dead, remove it. Whether the others will fill in depends on their variety, (how big they ultimately grow) and how far apart they are spaced. I would recommend patience. It sounds like your plants have been improperly cared for and then hit by this horrendous winter. Boxwoods are remarkably resilient if cared for properly. My daughter just bought a house with boxwoods that have been 'pruned' to within an inch of their lives. I have given her this same advice. Linda Professional landscaper who will do away with all electric hedge trimmers when I am made king of the world.

If you are unable to get them into the ground, then plant them up in containers. The longer bulbs remain out of the ground without correct storage, the less likely they are to succeed for you. A plastic bag is not an ideal storage place for bulbs for any length of time - they can't breathe and can easily rot. Although hostas are not bulbs and some of the toughest perennials around, they too can deteriorate over time without proper care. And they make great container plants. I wouldn't worry too much about the grape hyacinths - they are unlikley to be much of threat. Although, the term "running rampant" leads me to believe these could be wood hyacinths or scillas rather than grape hyacinths......neither one is that much of a thug, although the scilla ARE difficult to remove entirely.