You don't need to precool them. The Pacific NW is bulb heaven. Get them into the ground as soon as possible, to avoid the bad weather and muddy conditions of Winter. If you want tulips to last more than one year, plant them in full sun, feed them with lime and bone meal, and let them dry out in the Summer. They prefer a soil that is well-drained and porous, such as sandy loam. They don't mind growing among the roots of shrubs and trees, as long as they are not excessively shaded. Do not cut off the foliage until it has yellowed.

Congrats on the order. No need to pre-chill them at all...just follow Lilydude's advice and you'll be set. There are tons of bulbs that do great here. If you have a problem with squirrels or mice or other critters eating your tasty tulips, give daffodils/narcissus a try as they're toxic and most critters leave them alone.

I just planted some great tulips in a large pot that I'm keeping on a raised deck through the winter. I planted most of them in the garden but wanted to keep some of them (relatively) safe in a pot on my busy deck in case the critters get any ideas about eating the garden tulips.

Keep us posted on how everything does for you. What types did you get??

Take care,
Grant

I hope you got some aconites too. I love these cheery yellow blooms in January. Our climate is so wonderful for spring blooms -- we have spring colour from January to June. Deer love tulips so I only have a few that I hide in the middle of my daffs.

Arboretum bulb sale is coming up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Arboretum Foundation Plant Sales

Grant, to answer your question, I ordered Candy Club (whitish with very subtle pink-ish lavendar), Cum Laude, Passionale, Purple Prince (all three variations in the purplish range), and a Triumph mix. Between the lot of them, they should vary in bloom time from early April through late May, so I'm hoping to get a relatively long (for tulips) bloom period.

Thanks, all, for the advice. So helpful.

Is the Arboretum bulb sale worth attending? Thanks for the link I've got it on my calendar now. Would love to hear what people think of it.

Maki, your bulb selection is great. I'm always fond of the multi-stemmed tulips, and that Passionale color is especially nice.

Thanks for the information.
Take care,
Grant

The Arboretum bulb sale is great but typically jam-packed, so get there early! They offer a good many less common bulbs that are not always offered in the nurseries and garden centers, so can eliminate the need for mail order if you are looking for specialty items. No great bargains necessarily - you pay for what you get :-) They also have a lot of local vendors as well as Arboretum greenhouse starts, so you can get lots of other goodies as well.

Grant, I got a good laugh from your comment about keeping critters away from your bulbs by planting them in a pot on your deck...I have a dog and 6 cats - and I still get birds and squirrels coming right up to my back door on the deck to beg for food. My next-door neighbor had to trap a squirrel that was trying to get into his attic THROUGH the roof. My neighbors across the street had a racoon dig a hole in HIS roof. And only two nights ago, a young possom came in my bathroom window ON THE THIRD FLOOR of my house! Only half way because I heard him and got up to see what was going on. Luckily, the critters tend to leave my bulbs and plants alone, except for the odd tulip bulb that I find pulled up and nibbled on.

I suggest putting some chicken wire over those pots if you're really worried.

Daphne
Tacoma

Thanks for the feedback on the bulb sale. I'll be there.

Daphne, you crack me up. Those stories are very funny! I did say relatively safe, lol, as the squirrels in my neighborhood (and the Stellar jays) are getting pretty darn pushy, lol. I may just tuck some chicken wire on the pots to keep them relatively saferer :) . Typically I rely on narcissus and fritillarias as the critters don't seem to bother them as much, though Mr. Squirrel has been known to dig out daffodil bulbs while unearthing a precious buried peanut!

Thanks for the reminder on the chicken wire. I'm a big fan of making chicken wire "boxes" for tulips in the ground, so I really should have thought about putting it on the pot.

Take care,
Grant