I've never done tulips but have planted crocus, daffodils and hyacinths in plastic pots, put them in a sheltered spot next to a stone wall, and dumped a bunch of leaves on them. The squirrels don't seem to notice them. Have also sunk the pots in garden and covered with leaves with success too. Depending on size of pots, I've also slipped plastic milk crates over them so squirrels can't get to them but they're still open to the elements.

I have 2x4 raised beds for my veggies. If I bury the pots in the beds so just the lip of the containers are exposed will this be sufficient enough? Or will the soil in the raised beds still freeze?

If this won't work, I'll need another creative way to keep the bulbs from freezing. My garage is packed so that's out of the question and my shed is small and has no source of warmth at all, unless I cover them with something warm put permeable (like burlap) perhaps?

Suggestions? Ideas?

I tried bulbs in containers with mixed succes. Last fall, I didn't get around to bury the pots in the soil in time. An early frost turned them rock solid. I buried them anyway and most of the stuff grew this spring.

Ime the real problem is alternating freezing and thawing that makes bulbs rot.

Raised bed sounds fine, any larger earth volume will help.

Use a rather gritty mixture

Protect from sun, wind and full rain ( leaf mulch coul do or screens)

I would chose earlier tulip types, either short species types ( greigii, fosteriana, kaufmaniana), single early or Darwin- hybrids.

You could start with few packs to test your set up and get more bulbs for the following season.

Oh, and I would use labels,cause chances are you dont know which are where after winter...

Have fun and good luck, bye, Lin

I think burying them in the raised beds just so the lip is even with soil level is fine. I think the object is to mimic in-ground planting as closely as possible. Mine are in sun, leaves & snow fall on them just like the regular plantings. Having the lip visible helps when you want to find them in the spring.