Some are about 32 years old, actually. We had to dig up some bulbs that were planted around the front of the school. Most of them were planted the year the school was built, 1975. They came up and bloomed every year, multiplied a bit.

Anyway, the reason we dug them up was to make room for a couple of wooden planters that were going where the tulips were. The little gardeners and their helpers planted some in another flower bed but there are quite a few left over. I'd like to plant them in the planters when we get the dirt, but that won't be until next week. Right now they're in an ice cream pail with a bit of water on the bottom, and a friend is going to put them in her fridge (she lives alone and her dog doesn't care what's in her fridge!).

What besides a little bulb fertilizer should we do to help these tulips along? Some of the bulbs are pretty small now, probably bulblets that have broken off the main bulbs. They might not really be worth saving, but it's more for sentimental value than anything else.

Any advice for us?