There are said to be tulip varieties that have a better chance of blooming for more than just the first spring after planting bulbs. The link is to article showing varieties that are considered best chance for return blooms and the list is consistent among vendor catalogues and articles I've read. It also has tips on how to help bulbs perform at their best such as planting deeper than recommended (may bloom later than normal) and making sure to keep area dry outside of growing/bloom time. I'm sticking with Giant Darwin Hybrids (old "Darwin Hybrids" seem to have gone away?) and Triumph Tulips this year. Last year was my first and other fancier varieties didn't perform well if at all. I also plant equal number in containers for lack of space to make amended gardens in clay soil with too much root competition. Learned the hard way (rotted bulbs) that I have to plant them in mix of pea gravel and potting soil and definitely NOT anything with "moisture retention" as feature for potting soil. Last year (my first) I had visions of color & bloom time coordination of different bulb varieties. Found out mother nature varies growing conditions and bulb hardiness each year both where most are grown/harvested (Holland) and in our own gardens. I think most people are so tired of winter blues, cold and snow in temperate climates they're just glad to see anything bloom with some color. Many people remember seeing things in their childhood they'd like to bring back and then expand upon. My father always grew about 20 red and yellow tulips for my late mother and he always took us to the store to pick out potted hyacinths which we gave her for Easter and/or Mother's Day. Even if I didn't have that memory of hyacinths I'm hooked on their fragrance so I've gotten 30 more to make a little quasi rock garden for them since the amended clay still doesn't drain very well on its own. Last year I went a little crazy and ended up buying more bulbs from Home Depot & Lowes (box stores) after having ordered quite a few from mail order sources. Some of both mail order and box store bulbs bloomed and some didn't but it was so long ago in "garden time" I've lost track. Think it really had as much to do with how and where I planted them than just quality of bulbs. Follow recommended planting/site facts and you'll have your best chance of blooming bulbs in spring and even some tulips returning in future years. Bulbs other than tulips can and do perennialize by multiplying in the best cultural site. Stick to more of those to start with and make a smaller number of tulips your centerpiece of the planting arrangement. Start where you can afford it and, if you like it, add a few things each year as finances allow. Also, be prepared that the photos you see in catalogues or online are much fuller with blooms than if you plant according to recommended spacing. That allows for things like daffodils & muscari you ordered to multiply and fill in as years pass. That was surprise to me in first year when they looked awfully sparse for number of bulbs I'd planted with things like muscari, crocus and other small bulbs. You've gotten great advice from experienced people on this forum. With that and tips for best chance to have tulips bloom for a few years you just have to prepare a good planting spot, dig, plant and wait for the color next spring. If you have deer or rabbits you might want to get a critter repellant spray because once the foliage starts to pop up these critters will start eating it. You might even think there was something wrong with the bulbs they're so good at it...LOL. You can find any number of deer/rabbit repellant sprays at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes or any place like that near you. Good luck with your bulbs and think of the pleasure you'll have come spring while your digging and planting. Here is a link that might be useful: Getting Tulips to Last

Hi Lynn- I have Crocosmia Lucifer- I would like to trade for all of your bulbs- tell me how many you want! Thanks- Kasha77

I do find the selection at van englen great! I am going to try out several smaller daffodils this year as the foliage of some if my bulbs is just now dying down. I am hoping to find varieties that have less noticeable dying leaves through the summer. Last fall was my first with costco bulbs and all went well. Those bags just find a way into my cart...I try to be sure I actually count the total number of bulbs I am buying as a reality check! Last spring I tried some spring bulbs but they were dried up in the bag. Costco has always been good about returns though. Not sure how they'd deal with the wrong fall bulbs though...hmm. When I have had wrong items from van engelen, they have sent replacements, resulting in now hundreds of odd ball daffodils in my woods. I kind of wish now I had just received a refund.

carolyn, i grow alot of bulbs but few tulips(the Parrots I really like aren't perennial but i put in 2 doz every yr anyway.) i plant lots of narcissus; many kinds.i always plant muscari as 'marker bulbs' with ALL my bulbs. muscari re-send up their foliage in the fall and that foliage keeps me from accidentally destroying hidden bulbs that are already planted . The bulbs that I have the most of are: blue scilla hispanicas; allium bulgaricum (old name for alliums DTD sent photo of); and ornithogolum magnum. these latter are very striking 2 1/2'tall white flower spires that provide long flowering and intermittent vertical spikes of color.they are so very useful for popping in wherever you want a lovely tall wand to alleviate the boredom of a similar-height planting.the other two bulb types serve the same purpose though they are of different color and height. Because i plant large quantities of these 3 bulb types, i buy all three of the above- from Van Engellen (sister co. of Scheeper's)which sells these in minimum quantities of 25 and 50 i believe. The price of their bulgaricums is WAY less than other co's. the last 2 years i have really enjoyed doing 2 small plantings of allium schubertii, which have these amazing humongous airy starlike lavender spheres. In front of a rich green chamaecyparis they are a real romantic knock out. best, Mindy