no no, woodswalker - they never had a chance so do not berate yourself or the weather. There are many reasons for not buying bulbs from huge chains such as Costco. Buy your next bulbs from a reputable bulb nursery - In the UK, I buy wholesale although it is possible to buy tulips in 25s for the same price as 7-10 bulbs at retail cost in prepacked bags. They are dug up from the fields and dispatched within a short time period and will come to you looking fat and alive. Bulbs, for a beginner, are absolutely the gardeners friend. They are complete within themselves and truly want to emerge in full fettle. Good bulbs are practically foolproof, top value and good value. Even paying shipping costs for mail order will prove to be more worthwhile and reliable than scenting a bargain or buying cheaply from a box store. Please don't give up on bulbs.

Gee, the bags sound like a good idea to me. I would get some big ones. At one point I was thinking about doing something similar with tropical fruit trees (moving them to greenhouse in winter but put bagged in ground in summer). I bought 5 gallon bags but they were not nearly big enough so I didn't end up using them. Scott

You need to cancel your garden guy. Pesticides endanger the welfare of moths and butterflies at all stages of their growth and development. So, even if you are intent on raising them in a protected environment, you could be endangering them upon release.

Joyful, F N M stands for Friday Night Music, a weekly thread started in the Hot Topics forum. It's wonderful! The person initiating the topic for the week posts the theme and the challenge is for everyone to come up with a song that seems to resonate. This week's has been cathartic for me!