Tulips stored in the refrig bare as they are will not grow roots until planted either in pots or in the ground. This assumes they will only be left in the frig for up to 3 months. Left longer than that I have had some start to grow foliage. If you have room you could pot them in the refrig in damp mix and they will grow roots, left long enough they will grow foliage. With the growth of foliage they would need to be removed into the light. If I had a walkin refrigerator I would probably do this. Al

If it were me: I'd remove the weed cloth now. I've not seen it do anything good for the development of a good soil structure in clay. Gravel: I'd be thinking a mix of sizes rather than a single screen size. My preference would be for 2,5,7mm which can be useful when it gets dug through the soil/clay. As I'm using it as a mulch I wouldn't put it on any thicker than 2". Less could be better.(Sand is a no-no. It's like uncreamed butter and sugar in an angel cake...). As I'm planting into clay, and if I didn't have too many bulbs, I'd dig out circular shapes for my patches of colour to the depth for my zone and a little extra. Into the extra I'd put a layer of about an inch of the 2mm grit so the roots can get started into a better-drained area. If I could, I'd get a grit that stood out in colour from my soil. Later, when I come to lift the bulbs, I'd be able to see when I've 'hit bedrock' and I'd know to move carefully so I didn't harm my bulbs. Because I'm wanting to improve my soil over time, I'd add some agricultural lime - about an ounce to the square yard. Once I'd covered my bulbs I'd ensure that I stayed off that ground to prevent it from compacting. That's particularly important over times in the year when it's wet. The sad-looking bulbs: I'd plant them up in containers and I'd plant them quite shallowly. Barely covered, and in a free-draining mix - even 50:50 small grit and potting mix with no peat. I wouldn't want the water to stay close to them and I'd want whatever roots they can produce to have lots of encouragement to forage. (I'd even rescue the ones I tossed and give them a go, too.) Those containers I'd put where they get not much more than a couple of degrees of frost, moderate water, and good sunlight. A bit later on, when I see green noses above the soil/gravel (yes they DO come up through gravel) I'd feed them at the prescribed amount with either some potato or tomato food - powdered so it slowly breaks down, and lightly stir it in to the surface of the soil/gravel. Just once. With the damaged bulbs - some might flower. Some will die. Some might only put up leaves and split into smaller bulbs. Which is fine, because I can grow on those daughter bulbs for a year or two to give me 'free bulbs'. Any with streaky leaves I'd dig up and burn because they might have a virus and I'd rather be safe than sorry. All it needs is one travelling aphid and it could spread. No thanks. And next year, when the bulbs are finished for the year, I'd be putting my grass clippings onto the garden strip with a light sprinkling of lime, followed by as many autumn leaves as I could scrounge. Welcome mats for the earthworms. As an aside - if you do use the smaller grit sizes you can plant into it. The small 'johnny-jump-up' pansies, florists' anemones, verbascum, dianthus-pinks, linaria, eschscholzia, and a good range of other annuals will grow there - especially if you can provide some water over the summer. They may not be huge/lush but they will be sturdy and colourful. When it comes to weeding over the gravel (yes you DO have to weed...:-( ) use a two-tine hand fork or weed hook rather than anything conventional. If you use a knife, that will work, too. Forget spades - and rotary tillers. They're often not good for the health of the soil structure on clay.

Sorry Kim but I tend to agree with the other posters. The previous owner here planted a ton of tulips some 6-7 years ago. Many have either died out or the bulbs have been munched by critters. Those that are still growing are mostly foliage, which the deer nibble down to a sort of ground cover. A few escape the deer's notice, and actually bloom here and there. I too would compost your bulbs. Tulips are generally a short-lived bulb (except perhaps the heirloom varieties?), beloved by many critters, and not worth the trouble to grow, except maybe as Sedum says as an annual. If you have tons of energy and want to try planting them, add some compost and bulb fertilizer to planting holes. Or try daffodils instead, which have none of the above problems!

Gazania, I had the same problem. Hosta in the back of my house were in the shade until a tree was taken down. Now they the sun bleaches them out but they still look okay, just more yellow than green! I love when they flower. I have hosta in all the beds around my house. I just love them. Many came from the side of my grandmother's house. I bought a few big greenish-blue ones and those don't seem to be spreading like the others. They stay more or less in a clump. They are so pretty, if the deer don't get them. Hosta is like candy for deer. They don't often come up as far as my house, but when they do, they can really level off the garden rather quickly. The people in the houses at the end of my street back up to the woods. I think they have given up gardening, except daffodils! If I have to divide the hsta or iris, or dig back the pachysandra, I always put them out at the end of the driveway with a "please adopt me" sign.