Yes, definitely plant the lily bulbs ASAP. Lilies can handle some chilly weather, so they'll be fine, and a frost won't harm the bulb at all since it is planted too far down. Plus, lilies don't really go dormant, so they don't do well at all out of the soil(and they'll probably be starting to sprout by now too, which isn't good) As for the other lilies, I would be planting them outside if I was you, just cover them if we get a late frost. Make sure you cut the blooms off when they are done flowering, for their first year especially they shut put their foliage energy into roots rather than seeds. They should probably be hardened off, put them outside in a partially shady area for a couple days, then start moving them into the sun for a couple more days and they should be good to go. If they are in little pots just be sure they don't dry out too much in the sun. To be honest, any time I've bought lilies from a greenhouse or started them indoors I haven't bothered hardening them off, I just plant them, keep them well watered for the first little bit and they've been fine. Probably not the best gardening practice, but I've always gotten away with it(with lilies, anyway)

Hi LaLeeLuna, As long as you haven't bought "confused bulbs" (those not dug up this season) you shouldn't have a problem with early sprouting now. And that's an uncommon case since lilies don't go fully dormant and so don't store well without proper care. The bigger problem in our zone is an unseasonably warm spell in the middle or even late winter. Having had a cold period first, the bulbs think its spring and sprout - only to be nailed by the following frost. To help prevent this, plant your bulbs deep (8"-10"). Most lilies are stem rooting and need the depth for that anyways, but another advantage is that deeper soil has more moderate temp swings. It also helps prevent snacking by hungry winter squirrels! A heavy mulch provides additional insulation - just be sure in damp, shady, or heavily planted areas to pull the mulch back in the spring and keep a look out for slugs. Slugs can have a nice little feast on new lily shoots before you even know the plants are coming up. But, for the most part, oriental and asiatic lilies are pretty tough plants and will grow in less than ideal conditions. Good Luck with your experiment! -Helen

Hi neighbor! I'm just south of you in NC. Elizabeth City's last frost is somewhere in mid April so I don't plant cukes and such until the end of April-first part of May. Last year I don't think I planted out until about mid May because the weather was so crazy. Many perennials can go in the ground now but I wouldn't subject my more warm loving vegetables to the perils of our rollercoaster temps just yet. Michelle

You do have a special situation. On a hot balcony in zone 10. Hmm. For the soil to remain cool in a heat trap a large pot is needed. If you use plastic and the sun hits it the soil temperature is going to be inhospitable to bulbs. For daffodils I would try a 16 inch deep one, preferably unglazed clay (needs more frequent watering than glazed). If all I had was plastic I would find a way to shield the sides from the sun's rays. What confuses me is your saying they are still a little green, just starting to die off. Daffodil foliage ripens by June and they are dormant all summer. Are you very sure you have daffodils? Can you take a picture of the foliage? I think the only green foliage bulbs I have right now are nerine, dahlias, rain lilies and lilies.