The daffodils should come back. Did you dig around in that bed to see if the bulbs were still there? Perhaps they rotted, that's the only thing I can think of.

What kind of tulips came back for you?

I've been totally beweildered when people mention that their tulips haven't returned year after year. Mine always do. The only time I have difficulty is when there are squirrels around & I haven't covered them. Squirrels will remove tulip bulbs in a second. They are a dessert for them ;-)

ah, I'm new at the bulb thing, and I just planted some daffys and tulips and other things the end of November and now I can't wait for spring to see what comes up! Now I do have lots of squirrels around - on the other side of the fence though - because just as tulips are dessert for the squirrels, so are squirrels a snack for my dogs - hopefully they have enough sense to keep on staying on the other side of that fence! :0

'ice follies' is the best daffodil that i have grown over the years. 'king alfred' is another good one.
some of the pheasant-eye narcissus are dependable, too.
if you plant these(and tulips) at least 5"-6" deep, the squirrels won't be able to get to them.
i get tulip foliage after the first year but no flowers.
i see some in a yard in my neighborhood that return and bloom each year(not that attractive to me, striped like peppermint candy) but they may be species tulips rather than hybrids. those are supposed to be better for warmer climates.

If your daffodils did not come back they could have rotted even though they generally do well here and do multiply. It could also be a problem with voles (not moles).
Jeff, just as a bit of interesting information, when you purchase King Alfred you are not getting King Alfred but are getting 'Carlton' The difference may be like that between Big Boy tomato and Better Boy tomato: essentially the same but one has better disease resistance. I know there will be some who don't believe me about the King Alfred being Carlton but ask around and you will find out as I did.

hi eddie,
i understand your comments about 'king alfred' and the "improved versions, clones, etc.". they have been in my garden a lonnnng time so maybe they are what i purchased them as.
at any rate, "the big, solid yellow classics" of the daffodil world, by whatever name they are being sold, seem to be good ones. :-)
they are such a welcome sight and the fragrance is the epitome of springtime.

I'd also like to know what kind of tulips ya'll are growing that come back and bloom every year. I love tulips and have thought about growing some of the species just to have some around in the spring. My first year of gardening, and not knowing any better, I ordered over $100 worth of hybrid tulip bulbs and they were gorgeous when they bloomed. Now I get lots of foliage and 3 or 4 blooms (total) every spring....

Squirrellypete, not sure about your daffs...The one's I have, and I'm not sure of the names, but they all seem to multiply and do well in our zone. Sounds like yours must have been eaten by something or rotted.

Yup, I planted two hundred two years ago here in Duluth, about 6 inches deep. Worked my tail off. Decent display the next spring, but then nothing last year. I guess they rotted, and I'm too stubborn to dig em up to see. I refuse to add gravel to the bottom of the hole for drainage or anything else and a friend said he has the best luck just by slapping them in the clay without too much fussing.

Six inches deep? That's a lot deeper than I plant mine but I do try to dig that deep to improve the drainage and I use very little fertilizer, after all, the bulb is the food.