It should be noted here that we live in a very mild climate and there are a few types of bulbs that will require refrigeration to simulate a cold snap so that they may go dormant properly. These bulbs should be stored in the refrigerator for no less than six weeks. I prefer to store them for ten weeks, the prolonged cool season really seems to let the plant rest and go fully dormant, thus making the spring flush of growth even more spectacular when they are placed out in the garden. I also like to plant these types of bulbs in pots. By doing this I make less work for myself when it comes to digging the bulbs up to store them for next season.
Pots also make the displaying more flexible due to the mobility of pots.
Other types of bulbs like daffodils, paperwhites, freesias and bearded or Dutch iris don't really require chilling, so you can just plant them directly from the garden center in your prepared soil. Selecting bulbs at the garden center is a lot like shopping for tomatoes. Selection of large firm bulbs will always make your life easier. Undersize or bulbs that have molds or mildew growing on them or have and odor of rot should be passed over. Once you have selected your bulbs and have them in your shopping cart, scoot over to the section of the garden center where they have their bulb foods and pick up a box or a bag of an organic bulb food to mix into the soil that you are about to plant your bulbs in.