Last spring (07) I had extra newly purchased Asiatic bulbs so stuffed some into my largest annual planters. They produced a foot tall leaf stalk but nothing else. I meant to move them in the fall to a proper garden location but took a trip in the fall and completely forgot about them. The planters (fiberglass) with dirt spent all winter outdoors. They had some snow cover but were never watered or cared for.

In the spring I remembered the lilies but assumed they died or froze. I went to replant it with annuals in late May and found the lily showing up. Only one: I think I planted more ( hard to recall a few when you planted a hundred in the garden) but if I did those did not make it. I would have given the "empty" planter water if IÂd remembered earlier. It grew and bloomed this year, but only at about 18" height and 3 flowers while the same variety from the same package planted in the garden was easily 3 feet and five or more buds each. It (and they) turned out to be not as labeled but very lovely: definitely a keeper. Since I donÂt know the real name I would not be able to find these again.

Should I leave the lily in the planter for next year, or is it more likely to die and I just got lucky once? I liked having it with annuals.

Which of these four ideas would be better:

I could drag it into the garage to give it more protection; the fiberglass got more weathered than I wanted over the winter so I really should do that anyway (it weighs a ton filled with dirt, even though I put blocks of styrofoam into the bottom to save on potting soil and weight).

Leave the planter in the yard with the bulb where it is. Except for the fiberglass weathering issue.

Dig up the lily and put it in the garden when it ripens.

Dig up the bulb, pot it into a smaller clay pot, winter it with shelter in the yard or sink the pot into the vegetable garden and repot it into the planter in the spring.

Thanks! Sorry so wordy. CanÂt help it: can't be concise to save my life.