After the bulbs bloom in March, April or May they begin to regenerate the bulb for next years bloom. Our Spring warms up so rapidly that the bulbs go into dormancy before they can adequately regenerate the bulbs for subsequent bloom cycles. The end result is that the flowers get smaller and smaller from year to year and eventually the bulbs simply perish. This is unfortunate, as many gardeners will not plant tulip bulbs due to this problem. Those gardeners, however, who will plant tulip bulbs are in for a great treat.
Tulips come in both subdued and brilliant colors.
There are dwarf tulips that bloom at 4 inches and taller varieties that bloom at 30 inches. Most tulips are used in formal bedding schemes or in containers. Any soil that is not waterlogged works well, while full sun locations produce the best results. The garden tulip is best planted at the 6 to 8 inch depth in November and December. The Crocus is the earliest flowering Spring bulb.