Tulips

I was given some tulips bloomed in a pot. I was told that I could go ahead and plant these in my yard now and that later I could dry the bulbs and re plant them next year. Is this true? and how do I do this?

Will they still live if I plant them in the yard now? Is there anything else I can plant now. I guess I am late I should have planted bulbs back in the winter I guess didn't know that until now.... I would love to do some daffodils or something... but how can I plant those NOW or can I?

Thanks.

Anne's Response:

If you are growing tulips in the Raleigh area it really isn't worth the effort to plant bulbs that have been forced for indoor bloom. Our climate is so warm that we rarely get more than 2 or 3 years bloom out of most tulips. Most of the tulips you see in mass plantings in this area are bulbs that are planted in the late fall and treated like annuals.

Daffodils do come back reliably. The best time to get them in the ground in late October.