Dan, We only have tulips that are planted within the beds in the deer fenced part of our property, about a half an acre. We have a total of about 2 1/2 acres so only a small part is fenced and free of the hoved rats, otherwise we would have no tulips in the garden. We are a mecca for deer, perhaps 80 to 100 of them in our square mile alone. Nantucket is overrun with herds of them since being introduced in the 30's by a summer visitor from Mich. Hunting season isn't very effective, nor are our 2 border collies. The girls don't work nights or do windows.
We are on the edge of thousands of acres of open moors that is now, thankfully, conservation land. We see the deer daily or signs of them. We have left a good chunk of the property for them to munch through as they desire, but we are constantly moving plants that we have used to landscape that area they never use to eat to behind the deer fence. Then we try new "deer proof" plants.....ha, nothing is "deer proof", ever. But I never ate snails as a kid either. Our winter has been mild and mostly snow free, so they have not been so bad this year.
The rabbits are worse, so we even have to spray inside the deer fence to be safe. We have lined at the bottom of the deer fence with coated rabbit fence, as those evil bunnies just eat through the deer fence and eat everything in the garden beds, especially my lilies that are also planted in large numbers. But we win more than we loose these days.
I am so excited to see all the new stuff emerging and will post lots of shots when we have more than just snow drops. Of course I am expanding the garden in the deer zone and will suffer some loses. I ordered more Siberian Iris that the deer tend to ignore last week for those new beds from our very own PollyK. Speaking of............
PollyK, I didn't want to go bonkers with my favorite tulips and missed some obvious ones like, Tulipa Professor Rontgen. It would be like you trying to choose iris. Too too many that I love for different reasons.
Here is an album of Spring shots from last year with a few Narcissus to tempt you.
https://picasaweb.google.com/pmc.ack/ALBUMSPRING2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCO_Q1LnO_PScwgE&feat=directlink
franknjim, I have never seen Twister, nor have I grown Lucky Stike, not sure why???? lovely looking, but know the other two and especially like Banja Luca. I will plant more of those next fall again, if the old ones are thining out. World Expression has me confused as I have it listed in my Journal as suppose to be a " Creamy yellow with red flames" and mine came up very white and red, nice, but not what I expected for where I had planted it in 2007. It was still going strong last spring, in the wrong place, of course. Always the way. Patti
