It is probably not a good idea to plant them outside, it is kinda early for tulips to be growing outside, but you can grow then nicely indoors and they will grow and bloom, then after it warms up outside they can be planted outside, although it may take a few years for the bulbs to get the strength they need to flower, because potted tulips this time of year are normally forced to grow. How big are these tulips?, could you send a photo?

hi cassy,most potted tulips,or forced bulbs,we find this time of year in garden centers and markets are of the "single early"variety ,although i have seen some "mid" and "late"bloomers.i would wait until you can reasonably work the soil(mid may)to plant your bulbs,however your tulips will hardly resemble what they were the day you received them.let the foliage die back in a brightly lit window and keep watering ,being careful not to have them too wet(drainage holes are always absent)in spring cut off spent foliage and plant in a sunny spot.you can even divide them to cover a larger area.might take a few years to rejuvinate.fertilizer will expidiate this.good luck

I'm not sure I'd bother. Enjoy them now while in bloom, then toss. Tulips flowering now have been forced and while that doesn't mean they can't survive long term, it will take time to regain sufficient bulb energy to produce new flowers. And most hybrid tulips - the ones most commonly found potted up and in bloom at this time of year - are not very perennial in the garden anyway. They don't come back reliably or if they do, produce only sporadic bloom and many gardeners treat them as annuals and replant fresh each year.

Even in my area, which is home to the largest commercial tulip bulb fields outside of Holland, it's nearly impossible to get potted tulips to thrive and rebloom in the garden.

I have to agree with gardengal. Because they were a gift from a friend we would like to keep them as a keepsake. One of the difficult lessons for gardeners, is when to discard a plant. Al