I'm trying to grow tomatillos again this year after a disappointing first attempt last year. I only planted one seedling someone gave me, and without knowing much about it, it looked like it was doing great--it grew tall, blossomed, but fruit never set. It was only then that I found out that the typical green tomatillo plants don't self-pollinate. From what I've read, purple tomatillo plants can self-pollinate but you definitely need two plants for green tomatillos. I'm jealous of everyone's pictures! I had a failure of growing my seedlings so started my plants late this year. The tallest one is only about a foot tall, and I can't wait for them all to grow. Oh, and just from my experience last year--the plants are pretty hardy and their stems are a lot thicker and stronger than tomato plants. Mine last year needed minimal if any staking or supports.

I would buy some of that taller folding fence, put it around the bulb area. If they should send up or have any foliage left, fence will help protect it to feed the bulbs. As mentioned, give bulbs some fall fertilizer. I would probably get another pack of bulbs now or in fall, maybe in a contrasting color, add new bulbs to the patch. With additional bulbs, you will get SOME flowers. You will have something to enjoy, whether the old bulbs survive to flourish or not. I do the folding fence trick on my special plants, shrubs, newly planted with fresh DIRT!, when we have a new puppy. Seems like they bumble into your favorites, mush, chew, dig or walk on the growth you waited for so long! Ours always seem to have such BIG FEET! I blame myself then, should have protected my plants better, dog doesn't know the difference! Hope your bulbs come back, but put in some new ones to ensure some good flowers in the future. You might be able to stick some in now, to bloom later in summer!

There's another weed/wildflower in my garden that's really pretty in some of its permutations. I've been calling it a "wild geranium" because the leaves sort of look like geranium leaves. I finally found it on the net and it's actually mallow. Several types, to be specific. The prettiest are the "tree mallow" or "hollyhock mallow," which grow to several feet tall (if tops aren't pinched off) and have relatively large, brightly colored (pink, purple, or 'striped') blossoms. Then there is the "common mallow," which has much smaller, white or pale pink flowers and usually spreads out over the ground. Pretty sure these are hardy annuals, not perennials, and it's pretty easy to pull up the unwanted young plants in the spring when the ground is moist. I have a friend whose back yard was abundant with the large, colorful varieties, and I found it easy to harvest the seeds. Mallow is also a widely used medicinal plant/herb. Here are some pics: http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/latestpressrelease/2005-42puffins.asp http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/flowers/index.php?action=show_item&id=257&search= http://www.cwss-scm.ca/Weeds/images/Mal2-common-mallow.JPG http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://212.84.179.117/i/Mallow.jpg&imgrefurl=http://212.84.179.117/list.htm&h=300&w=189&sz=17&hl=en&start=11&tbnid=Qhhpso2ryidvJM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=73&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmallow%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D http://212.84.179.117/i/Musk-mallow.jpg http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://aco.ca/acorns/_images/perennial_gardens/Wild-Mallow-Blooms-July-thr.jpg&imgrefurl=http://aco.ca/perennial_gardens.html&h=335&w=350&sz=46&hl=en&start=64&tbnid=bSmecGCNXHPMpM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmallow%26start%3D54%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/latestpressrelease/2005-42puffins.asp http://thebegavalley.com/uploads/tx_steverplantgallery/Malva_parviflora_04_small-flowered%20mallow.jpg http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/cal.di1.jpg http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.naturedirect2u.com/Medicinal%2520herbs/mallowpic4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.naturedirect2u.com/Medicinal%2520herbs/mallowherb.htm&h=387&w=368&sz=42&hl=en&start=137&tbnid=8iP2FaB60KZ36M:&tbnh=123&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmallow%26start%3D126%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.garten.cz/images_enc/00058/00058C1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.garten.cz/encyklopedie.php%3Flng%3Den%26encid%3D58&h=200&w=150&sz=13&hl=en&start=234&tbnid=9y9Rq8Mivh7YuM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=78&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmallow%26start%3D220%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Ah, I see. Peppers will grow roots out of their lower nodes if they're really young and the stem hasn't lignified. I've found some will even if they're older. But, you run a risk of rot and problems so only bury the stem as you go if you can help it. Or are careless, like me. Whichever. I would not be surprised if tomatillos grow roots when you pot up deeper. They're basically weeds and quite determined to live.