Another issue just arose...most mornings this week I have been leaving the two containers outside next to my garage. When I came home for lunch on Tuesday it appears that a squirrel decided to hunt for a snack in one of the containers. It did manage to pull up a few bulbs but I was able to salvage about 95% of what I originally had and fix the mess that it left behind. How do I keep squirrels out of containers in an aesthetically pleasing way? For the bulbs that I planted in the ground it was simple. I just laid down chicken wire mesh (held in place with stakes) before covering with mulch. However containers I'm not so sure how to approach when it comes to squirrel prevention especially since I have some crocus that is already emerging but the rest of the tulips and daffodils in the same containers are still a couple of weeks away. By the way...of the bulbs I planted in the ground (and protected from squirrels) I did see some emerging bulbs over the weekend but now it seems like something chewed the green sprouts all the way down. Rabbits? If so, how can I keep them uninterested in my sprouting bulbs?

I also bought the Costco tulips in glass forcing vases (2 yellow and 1 pink)*. After the leaves went brown, I thought I would just toss them, as there was mold on the bulbs. But I decided to see if I could save them. First I took off the roots on all the bulbs by just rubbing my thumb over them, they came right off. Then I peeled off the moldy "skins," along with any flower stems, saving any of the babies that were attached. I had a damp cloth to wipe my fingers to keep them clean, as the mold sticks to your fingers. The bulbs under the moldy skins looked very healthy, ie firm to the touch and shiny. I then put them in a open shallow shoebox on a paper towel leaving space between each one. When they are dry, I plan to put them in paper bags in a dark place and store until about November. Since I live in a warm climate, I will then put the paper bags in the garage fridge for a few weeks. I will plant them in pots in February in new rich well draining soil, so they can be replenished. *Side note: It was cheaper for me to buy the tulips in the glass vase at Costco than to buy separately a bag of tulips at Home Depot or Lowe's and a glass forcing vase. Next year, I can use those vases again to force bulbs...will buy the bulbs in different colors at HD or L or my local nursery.

I have read that many tulips are bred for the cut flower market, and so are not as likely to produce bloom over years. I try to buy tulip bulbs that the catalog comments on as being more likely to be perennial. Both Brent and Becky's Bulbs (link below) and John Scheepers (www.johnscheepers.com/) have notes to this effect in the printed catalogs, though I am not sure what kind of info they include online. Brent and Becky's catalog notes that they regard Darwin Hybrids "as the longest term perennial tulip group." Fosteriana, some of the Kaufmanniana and species tulips are pretty good perennials in my experience also. I have some tulips that have come back and bloomed for 5 years, but realistically I'm happy if the critters haven't eaten them for just a few seasons. I also have found that they last longest if they are buried deeply and are in a really well-drained area in the summer when they are dormant. Here is a link that might be useful: Brent and Becky's Bulbs

I wish I had good news for you but I suspect the bulbs rotted. Probably if you pull on the leaf tips the whole thing will come up since the bulb usually rots first and there will be nothing holding the leaves anymore.... Did the growing bulbs freeze? Is it possible you overwatered and the soil did not drain well enough? Don't tell your girlfriend what happened to the rest, just let her keep thinking you're a bulb pro and they all grew fine!