Those tulip and daffodil bulbs I planted last fall? Most of them bloomed. Some even looked like they were auditioning for a spring wedding centerpiece. Except for the two main pots. The ones with the bulk of my tulips. They dried up, shriveled, and died. Not from frost or squirrels or aphid attacks.
Just me.
Neglect is a powerful gardening tool if your goal is selective extinction.
The tulip pots were on the porch, tucked just under the roofline where rain couldn’t get to them. I was watering them. Just not enough. I figured the occasional splash here and there would do the trick.
It didn’t.
I got plenty of tulip leaves and a handful of tiny, shriveled buds. I swore out loud when I realized this development. Not that I need to tell you—you probably heard me from wherever you were.
I did manage to get an early jump on pansies. Two pots of them—fundraiser specials. Instead of leaving them in their plastic sleeves and tucking them out of the way like a reasonable person, I ripped them out and stuffed ¾ of them into the green planter above. The rest went into a couple of window boxes you’ll see soon. If you’re nosy or patient. Or both.
The daffodils? They're troopers. They’ll keep blooming season after season from the same pot. Daffodil bulbs just do that. No need to dig them out or fuss. They're the golden retrievers of spring bulbs—loyal, low-maintenance, weirdly enthusiastic. They're happy to live in a single pot their whole life coming out every spring with the same vigour as the first time they bloomed.
Tulips though? Tulips are high-maintenance backup dancers. Sure, they show up big the first year, but next time around they might just lie down and refuse to bloom. That’s why most people plant them in pots to force them, enjoy the show, and then move the bulbs to a garden bed. Next fall, they buy new ones.
That’s the loop. Force, enjoy, plant, repeat.
I don’t have room for that. I don't have masses of garden beds I can randomly throw 50 tulip bulbs into every year.
But I also can't leave them in the pots to test their loyalty next year. Those same pots have already signed summer leases with dahlias, alyssum, and verbena.
Which I will water.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Which brings me to the Rasta Parrot tulip. The one bright, frilly, psychedelic star of this spring. It made up for the loss of the more common varieties by being weird and beautiful in all the right ways.
I got the bulbs from Growing Tkaronto in Toronto, and they didn’t just live up to their marketing photos—they surpassed them. Rare. Normally, specialty tulips arrive looking like a promise and bloom like a letdown. Not this one.
Now it's time to empty the pots. Even the daffodils. I need the pots back.
Here’s what to do when it’s time to pull and store bulbs after they’ve bloomed:
How to Store Forced Bulbs for Reuse
- Let the foliage die back naturally. This feeds the bulb. If you cut it too soon, they won't have the energy to put on a show next year.
- Once the leaves are yellow and floppy, pull the bulbs out gently.
- Shake off any soil.
- Cut off the dead foliage about an inch above the bulb.
- Toss any soft or mouldy bulbs.
- Store the good ones in a cardboard box, open paper bag, or mesh bag.
- Keep them in a dry, dark spot like a garage or basement that doesn’t get damp.
- Label them. You think you’ll remember which is which in the fall. You will not.
You don’t have to save bulbs after forcing. Most people toss them, no guilt, no ceremony. But if they’re decent bulbs—or you’re the type who’s ever whispered “I paid good money for that”—then yeah, it’s worth a shot.
Worst case? They ghost you next spring. Nothing. Just a pot full of dirt and betrayal. Neighbours walk by. They stare. They whisper. One of them starts a group chat. There are screenshots. A meme. Your garden becomes a cautionary tale in someone else's newsletter.
So no big deal.
Best case? They bloom quietly like nothing ever happened.
Which, honestly, is usually how gardening works anyway. It's a crap shoot.
Even bookmakers won’t take bets on gardening - too many variables, not enough logic, and the whole season can be derailed by a single earwig.
Or lack of hydration.
Addie
Ohhhhhhhh....that BIG red/yellow tulip is the MOST gorgeous I have EVER seen!!!!!
Karen
That's exactly what I thought when I saw it. And normally, if you described it to me I'd say Uch. Garish. Hideous. Never! ~ karen!
Marie
Daffodil bulbs...
"They're the golden retrievers of spring bulbs—loyal, low-maintenance, weirdly enthusiastic."
You are brilliant.
Karen
You're on your way to becoming the golden retriever of comments, Marie. ~ karen!
Jennifer
I am so glad for this post Karen! My Great Tulip Experiment ended as yours did and now I feel less alone. Mine gave me such great hope at first-green leaves, a bud forming-but then, out of nowhere, they whole show just stopped. Leaves are drying, bulb never bloomed, and I too need the pots back so will plant them in the ground and see what happens. I am glad to commiserate because I have been sad they did not work out after tromping out to the shed to water them or put snow on them all winter! And I did water mine so who knows? It is fun to experiment anyway. :)
Karen
Hi Jennifer! They can work so don't give up. And you only need to water them really when the sprouts start to show in the pot in the spring. So if you do it again, you don't have to snow tromp. :) ~ karen!
Linda in Illinois
Karen.
Love the garden challenges every year.
This year for me: i started seeds indoors as usual. It was working great then one day…. Everything began dying. Gnats were everywhere. Yep fungus gnats.
I scrambled to save what i could. Even the basil with one root left. 90 percent of my tomatoes, peppers, and herbs died.
It was devastating.
Long story short. I saved some and things are recovering but very slowly. I will be lucky to get any fruit this year but I’m hopeful nonetheless. Definitely gardening is a crapshoot.
God willing, there’s always next year. Keep a smile on my face and a song in my heart and pray. Lol
Linda
Karen
Oh nooooo! That's disheartening. And also infuriating. All the "ings" really. Will you buy some tomato seedlings or could you save some? ~ karen!
Linda in Illinois
Special seed starts like sister Cynthia’s cantaloupe and spoon tomatoes and Aunt Ruby’s German tomatoes are not replaceable from greenhouse garden centers. I have a couple of them still hanging on. Others i had to purchase , like all my hot peppers and tomatoes. Cucumbers are gone. Thanks for being so inspiring. I always look forward to your posts.
Linda
Karen
Hi Karen,
Nice post. So many garden centres have closed near me and others appear to be cutting back on their inventory, understandably so but I miss the good ol' days. Unusual bulbs are difficult to find. Species tulips are always more reliable for repeat performances [squirrels & chipmunks aside].
One of my favourite tulips is Ballerina, an orange(not garish) later lily flowering with long, strong stems and fragrant. It has repeat bloomed for many years. Mickey Mouse and Monsella are two brightly streaked yellow & red tulips which compliment each other, one fluffy the other single have also lasted many years in my garden. Squirrels have relocated some to front yard next to an orangey red & yellow primroses far exceeding my landscape capabilities. Sometimes they do good. Thanks for the Tkaronto tip. Please forward any bulb suppliers in future posts. I often do not have luck with the big online nurseries. Karen
Karen
Tkaronto was wonderful. I forgot to pay for shipping so they thought I was picking the bulbs up, and they never came ... but then they contacted me about my lonely bulbs at their store, I realized my mistake and they sent them to me right away. Healthy bulbs that all performed well. I've always had tulip bulbs in a very small retaining wall in front of my picket fence. Now 70% of them are tulips I didn't plant. I have a whole row of beautiful white tulips that showed up out of nowhere. I do want some species tulips but have never got around to ordering them. I'm always a sucker for the showy, lol. ~ karen!
Shannon
Hi, that black fluted vase is gorgeous, as are the flowers in it. I just finished reading Frances Palmers ‘Life in the Studio’ it reminds me of some of her work.
Karen
She's an icon. :) And thanks, I love that vase too. I have 3 of them, all slightly different shapes from my sister's now defunct store, The Hillbilly Mansion. ~ karen!
Hettie
Your post was a fun start to the day, Karen. I'll be putting pansies in pots next. They're sweet like that. And I loved your description of daffodils. I planted about 50 in my garden last fall, and they were a real source of joy this spring. Happy gardening!
Karen
Thanks Hettie! I especially liked these frilly daffodils with the white centre. I'll have to buy more this fall to plant somewhere I don't feel bad cutting them from. ~ karen!
Nina
Hi. That tulip! Wow! But I have no luck with tulips here in SoCal's hot, dry climate. But let me tell you about my daffodils. I didn't plant them; they popped up the first spring we were here. They are planted in a thin layer of clay (probably somewhat amended at the time) on top of the bedrock our house is built on. Yet they have bloomed beautifully through pea gravel every spring for 22 years. A few wild purple iris show up, too. They are always lovely and always a surprise as I do absolutely nothing for them except trim the dead leaves when they are dry and crisp. Nature is amazing.
Karen
Nature really is smarter and more logical than we will ever be. ~ karen!
Kath
Hi Karen, What is the name of the peach daffodils you have in the pot? They’re so gorgeous!
Karen
Hi Kath. I *believe* they are delnashaugh daffodil (double daffodil). They bloomed really early and beautifully! ~ karen
Terry Rutherford
Kudos to the daffodils, they’re gorgeous all on their own. That specialty tulip is also gorgeous but gorgeous tulips disappear on me even in the ground. I’ll stick with daffodils following your pot approach, and maybe some grape hyacinth around the edge? Do not let me near a bulb catalogue… Did you say what daffodils those are? I love pastels.
Karen
Hi Terry. I *believe* they are Delnashaugh daffodil. I just got them from Canadian Tire! I believe the distributor name is Florissa. So keep an eye out at your local Canadian Tire or box stores in the fall for that name. ~ karen!
Kelly
Karen! The poppy trick with the ice cubes worked perfectly for me!
The bulbs were a complete fail but probably because it is just too cold in
Calgary. Maybe if I kept the pots in our unheated but above freezing garage.
Avril
Rasta Parrot Tulip is incredible!!! I want one for next year!!!!!!
Karen
Isn't it?! I was so excited when I found it last year AND when they still had some in stock. That's the worst - when you find something you're SO excited about, and then it's sold out. ~ karen!
Karen
Oh! I'm glad the poppy trick worked. I have 3 tiny poppies from countless ice cube trials, lol. ~ karen!