Potted tulips given in winter or early spring are likely forced (made to bloom earlier than they would normally) for a seasonal display indoors. These are usually treated as annuals (tossed after blooms are spent), and many won’t flower again next year. However, some types of tulips, such as Darwin or species tulips, do better about transplanting/reblooming, so you can certainly try an experiment to see what happens. It is possible to plant forced tulip bulbs outdoors, although they may not bloom until the second or third year after you plant them, if at all, and the blooms might be smaller. Some tulips just naturally only produce blooms for 1 or 2 years.

To try and plant a bulb outdoors for future blooms, you’ll need to give the bulb lots of TLC, including good light, enough water (but not too much), and proper fertilizer. First set the potted tulip in a sunny, cool spot. Care as you would normally, including water and fertilizer, while it is blooming. Wait until the flowers have faded, then cut off the flower stalk. This will help the plant to focus on making food (via its leaves) rather than on creating seeds. As the leaves start to turn yellow, stop fertilizing and gradually cut back on watering until the leaves turn brown and brittle.

At this point, especially if it is still springtime, you can plant the bulbs outdoors. Or, you can wait until fall. If you choose to plant in fall, cut off the dried foliage. Then you can either keep the bulbs in the pot, or dig up the bulbs and let them sit in a dry place for 1 to 2 weeks and then store them in a brown paper bag. Place the pot or the bag with bulbs in a cool, dry, dark place until fall. About 6 to 8 weeks before the first expected hard fall frost, you can then plant the bulbs outside.

One to two inches of mulch will do, but refrain from applying it until after the ground has already frozen. This is done to prevent the soil from retaining warmth, which could inadvertently encourage the tulips to emerge far too early.

If you are in an area with frost heaves, it is possible that the bulbs may have been pushed up, especially if they were planted at shallower depths. If the area had any heavy rain, erosion may have taken away some of the soil on top, or the bulbs sitting in muddy water might rise to the surface. Also, were there any signs of digging? Animals such as squirrels may sometimes dig up bulbs. Tulips may form offsets in spring–if these bulbs look tinier than normal, it could be that these detached from the mother bulb due to heavy rain, frost heaving, etc. and rose to the surface. Hope this helps!

It could be that the bulbs are in too shady a spot, or one that is too soggy. Older bulbs sometimes run down until they don’t flower much any more, but since you just planted yours last fall, that’s likely not the reason. Make sure that the bulbs have enough nutrients, but don’t add too much nitrogen, which can encourage leaf formation over flowering. A damaged bulb, such as caused by a hungry rodent, may also leaf out a bit but not flower. A diseased or weak bulb may perform the same way. If flowers do eventually show, after the display, allow the leaves to fade and brown naturally; if you cut them off while they are still green, then the bulb can not make food for next year, which weakens the bulb and discourages flowering next season.

You are correct; the foliage of tulips and daffs should be left to yellow. Since you did cut down the foliage, it is not likely that the plants will return to optimal display/condition. You may see some limp growth next year.

If you find the foliage unsightly, fill the space with other same time or later-blooming plants as visual distractions. Bleeding hearts is a good one; they bloom with tulips but last longer. Meantime, day lily foliage starts up with great thickness.

What grows in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. Tulips need a natural chill period, so unless you are in the mountains, it is highly unlikely to last. There are people who chill the bulbs in the fridge; note that there are no guarantees. To try it, let the foliage die back naturally, unearth the bulb, brush off the soil, and put it in the fridge away from food for a few months. Plant in spring when temps warm, in the same pot/soil, if desired. Water regularly. It’s a long shot to success. Most people would suggest that you enjoy the plant now, appreciate the giver, … and toss the remains into the compost.

Wet soil is a killer for all bulbs. They will get root rot and fail. Cool, soggy conditions and extended periods of wet weather favor infection. In the fall, we’d suggest planting new bulbs in a planting site that is prepared so it will be well drained. You could try to unearth the existing bulbs but over the time described they may have been diminishing in quality/strength. Best advice: start over, as per above.

Blubs are fine with the cold, but they do not transplant well. Best bet is to plant in early fall for blooms in spring 2020—unless something on the packaging indicates somethign else.

Some bulb suppliers do not recommend this, in part because the freezing/thawing cycles are brutal to the bulbs. If you want to try it, be sure that there is excellent drainage over winter to prevent rotting. You might try placing straw bales around the bed and a thick layer of mulch over the bed to help insulate. Remove the mulch and bales in spring. You may also want to place wire mesh around the bulbs to prevent rodent damage. Good luck!