You're supposed to chill the bulbs first for 4-6 weeks before planting in warm climates so that may be why not all of them are sprouting. They are also coming up very early although that won't matter much in LA. Here are the bulb planting instructions for CA I was given when I first starting planting bulbs. http://cemadera.ucdavis.edu/newsletterfiles/Master_Gardeners_Articles4135.PDF

I agree with oil painter. many of our techniques actually have the same results. The difference is simply the approach. The potted tulip method is something of convenience. the tulips are already potted and it a simple matter of removing the pot. This is a technique promoted by Alan Titschmarch (spelling?) the fellow behind BBC gardens show. John's techniques have a similar effect, only you dig up the tulips and pot them up. Oilpainter, BTW although I do mix up early, mid and late tulips and cap it off with daffodils, I also do plant annuals in that one spot, which does hide the dying foliage. I just choose annuals I start off from seed so these start growing as the foliage begin dying. However because I do use late season tulips the awkward gap between flowering is very minimal, in fact the emergence of my allium purple sensations begin very shortly after, followed closely by the sages and the delphiniums. In anycase, the result is that the dying foliage no longer becomes apparent and the eyes are diverted to the other blooms. Anyhow, sorry for the prolonged discussion. it's a very simple thing and so do enjoy the process.

Whoever said tulips wouldn't do well in this climate must have been smoking crack. The only ones that didn't come back were the Shirley's. The others have gone crazy. I dug up what I thought was ALL of the tulip bulbs and relocated the bed. Guess what came up where the tulip bed "used" to be? Tulips - at least 100 little bulbs that I missed. I'm going to have to go through the soil with a seive to get all those bulbs out and get them put in the other flower beds.

Thay are pretty! I planted yellow this year and they are so cheery!