Lovely bulbs ... NEW PHOTOS ADDED

Here's my thought for what it's worth TT ...
I've found that bulbs grown like this don't come back very well the following year if you keep them in the pots too long.
Therefore I would plant them straight into the ground, maybe in some shelter eg near shrubs. Or at least plant them into some bigger pots.
They are hardy bulbs so should be all right with the shelter of shrubs or fence to protect them.
If they're dry I would water them soon.
I hope they'll flower nicely soon and give you some lovely colour :) x

Thank you Hywel ... those are useful thoughts, so I've gone ahead, and given the pot compost a little rainwater ... very carefully.
I hope tomorrow morning, I'll have more energy, so I will then try to put them into bigger pots. I guess ordinary compost will be okay ? x x x

Yes that will be fine, I use it for all the bulbs I put in pots. It contains nutrients that the bulbs will be able to use in order to flower again next year.

Hywel ... thank you.

Thanks J ...
I've not bought sprouting flower bulbs in the past ... just bulbs in packets ! These in the coloured pots were quite a bargain price. They look very perky and well-reared, so I want to do my best for them.

Terra you could , if you have spaces, pop the complete pots into the ground for this spring, then when they are dying down lift the pots and then plant the bulbs out into your garden for the future, pots won't be harmed, done that way they will have the protection of all your shrubs and suchlike.....

That's a good idea, Sue. Thanks.
I'll see what ground space I can find tomorrow morning, and then decide how to proceed. One thing worrying me is if they will grow tall and need supports.

I have bought pots like this many times. I give them the hokey -cokey treatment for a week [outside in the day in the garage/porch at night]. Then I have planted them out in their pots, slightly deeper than they are in the pot, covering the bulbs by a couple of inches. It wont harm them in my experience. When they have finished flowering I dead head and feed with dilute tom food. Then when they have fully died back I lift the pot knock them out and then plant the bulb at their proper depth and spacing.
As for watering I stand them in a washing up bowl of 2" deep water and leave for an hour. After that they come out and are allowed to drain, then I water them as and when.

The tulips may need a little bit of support, pea sticks and string will be fine, depends how deep you bury them and firm the soil down around them.

Thank you Seaburngirl ... lots of very sensible and useful advice there. I really appreciate your detailed comments. They make me more positive about bulbs being placed outdoors.

I planted tulips in troughs this year Terra, they were under the staging in my g'house, I moved them to the shelter on my patio last Monday as I considered they were in danger of growing too fast, been having some lovely days and our nights have been warmer, no frosts at all so I didn't have to play jigory-pokery moving them back at night, they have become acclimatised to being outside now and like everything else will take what comes.. ...

With all that advice, they should look great and hopefully return next year.

Lovely assortment. I would put them in bigger pots too.

Thanks Lincs, Siris and 3d ...
I'm going to work on the new bulbs later today.
All your advice and ideas are very helpful.

personally I wouldn't repot them as bulb roots are quite fragile and they will grow out of the holes in the bottom of the pot into the soil. when they die back then the bulbs can be moved easily.

Thanks Seaburngirl .. those are good thoughts ...
I'm thinking of placing the pots of bulbs intact, as they are, inside bigger pots, with the final look, having the compost just over the surface of the bulbs and coloured pots.

I think you have all the advice necessary . I look forward to seeing how the pots get used by team TT.

Hi Scotsgran .. I'm starting to look around my sheds for suitable bigger pots ... I hope to add photos eventually !

That looks a wonderful solution TT, they are buried deeper and with minimal root damage. They look lovely in their matching pots.

Thanks again for your advice, Seaburngirl ..
I'll hopefully make a new blog when the bulbs are flowering.

I faced a similar problem with Aquilegia. I bought some plants from the UK, and when they arrived, the aquilegia was starting to grow. After transplanting them into pots that were a little larger, I put them under grow lights. Now, during the day they go out and come in to spend a few more hours under the grow lights in the evening. It is the coldest part of the year for me (it was supposed to be 9°C last night). They have continued to grow, but are compact. My daylilies from seed are also spending a lot of time under the lights until the sun gets above the trees across the street.

Hi Wylie ..
That's interesting you had to transplant your Aquilegia to larger pots. Sounds like you've given them exactly the correct treatment, and also your daylilies. Thanks for adding those comments.

Lovely pots ! x

They lookgreat in their new ew pots!

Thanks Hywel ..
Lucky there are five ... just the right number. x

Hi Karen ... I'm pleased how the bulbs look ...
but what is an ew pot ? ... ha ha

They say things in odd numbers look better ...
You have three pets - the best number to have :) x

I have a lot of bulbs in pots both planted by me or bought from a garden centre or supermarket ( Morrisons sell some lovely ones from time to time and they are not expensive). When they have flowered, I feed them and let them dry out and plant them in the ground in the autumn.

I like the way you have planted yours :-)

Thanks Wildrose... useful information ... I've already had to sprinkle small size grit on the top, as well as the pebbles, to try to discourage the birds from pecking the compost !

I agree with Hywell, Terra. Bulbs are hardier than you think, but if they are in a sheltered part of the garden which gets the sun, they will be fine. Or you could just put all of them in one big decorative pot.