Tulip end of road or maybe not?

I find the clusianas come back year after year and have one patch of pink 'Mistress' that have not withered away. I found the Apeldoorns came back too. However all the other fancy types dwindled and now I have the annoyance of many patches of one or two flowers in the borders. Now I throw them out. One gardener I spoke to said he kept his for a few years by burying them very deeply but I can't dig that deep in our clay so haven't been able to try.

I tend to pop mine in the borders after they have died down. They often come up blind the fist year then flower after that. Most of the species ones and the T saxitalis ones come back year after year.

Even some of the early ones last 3-4 years in their pots.

I find the red tulips return year after year, I planted Apledorn many years ago. Species dont do well gor me.

Years ago before people really gardened with pots, tulips were always planted in the borders or beds at least 4 inches deep. Red and yellow Darwin tulips were very popular and seemed to brighten gardens for years. Usually flowering early May, they missed the March winds and April showers or downpours as we have now. I think we love the variety there is now but as you say Julia, they only flower well for one year..

The Sarah Raven catalogue has notes to say which ones are unlikely to survive and which ones should do.I bought a lot a couple of years ago ( a present of money for plants!)and quite a few have done just as well this spring as last! The ones I already had that have gone on for years are mostly the species ones, which I've found very reliable and have spread

On the whole our tulips do flower again.
I dig them up and let them dry out until the Autumn. I then help myself to part of the vegetable patch and put them in there planted very close together. This year they put on a wonderful show. Good luck with yours. Monty's did look beautiful didn't they?

I knew about the Darwin group being perennial. But recently I read that Ballerina is also reliably perennial. I’ve thrown many away in the past after flowering in pots. It’s a beauty.