How big of a container for about 55 bulbs?

Here is what will be in the container: 10 purple Passionale Tulips, 25 Whitewell Purple Crocus and 15 purple Chionodoxa, and 5 hyacinth. I am also doing similar containers in white, red, pink, yellow, and blue. I have some pretty large containers already, but I want to make sure thay I can plant that many bulbs in one container. What kind of soil would be best...just regular potting soil, or should I mix in something else to make it drain better? Tamara

Sounds great, Tamara. I know that I have done about 25-30+ tulips before with no problems. Well, the squirells got some, those little thieves. But, they came up fine w/o troubles. I pack 10+ annuals into a 9" pot, why not cram in tons of bulbs?! good luck.

Great! Thanks so much. :-) I hope they turn out like I envison them! TAmara

You can plant the 10 Tulips in one corner of the pot (is there a corner in a round pot.?)...the Hyacinths in front of them in a half circle and then the Chionodoxa and Crocus on either side.

or.....

Put some soil in the pot....plant the 10 Tulips divided over the whole circle.....fill in some more soil and plant the Hyacinths divided over the circle like the spots on a dice.....fill in some more soil and then mix and match the Crocus and Chionodoxa on the next layer and finish filling the pot with soil.

A 10 or 12" pot would work fine.

Regular potting soil works fine as long as you mix some perlite or peatmos in with it.

Make sure the pot has a drainage hole in the bottom.......that you cover with a piece of crock, not closing it off, but so the access water can drain.

bleek, i wish i had you next to me at planting season. great directions. i always miss that part in my discussions.

don't forget pix next spring, zonegirl!

I'm new to tulips and such. I have a big pot that I'd like to fill also!!

Once I get everything in there, do I leave it outside in the elements? Do I need to mulch it?

Bleek, thanks for the great advice! I'll post pics in the spring when they bloom! Tamara

pegdog.....I am looking in the mail for a ticket..........

I just saw this corny movie last night, The Wedding Date, and it was about this woman who "bought" a date, and flew him to London .... blah blah blah. That was a LOL one liner for me, bleek. However, it may be too cold up here for you!

JustJen, I'd recommend protecting your pots during winter. Last year I sank some pots of bulbs in the ground, and set some against the foundation of the house with mulch piled completely over them. They did fine. A few years ago I tried tulips, daffs, crocus, and hyacinths in 1/2 whiskey barrels and none survived the winter. I suspect after freezing the drainage was comprimised, but I think protecting them is safer. Good luck!

Thanks GS.

I have tons of straw and horse manure that I can dump on top of them. Hopefully that will help them get through the winter

An apple a day keeps the cold away.