Tulips and narcissus have a few ways they can be planted; in a straight row to form a border, in a flower bed in a circular bunch for a good visual impact, sporadically to speckle color throughout a space or in a container. With the fancy varieties I suggest the circular “bunch” way to make the most impact and it seems to help the tulip survival rate.

Bunch planting:

Dig a hole 5-6 inches deep and wide enough to plant 10 bulbs spaced as if they were sitting in a egg carton. Cover with dirt and water! Tulips develop roots in the fall and winter and need a little water to get started.

Straight row:

If you want to plant tulips in a border style, dig a trench 5-6” deep and wide enough for 3 bulbs a minimum of 3 tulips to sit side by side. Cover with dirt and water well!

Sporadically:

This is when you take a hand trowel, bulb planter, or drill and dig a hole big enough for one or two bulbs around your flower bed. It can be pretty but is often better done with single varieties. In my opinion fancy varieties give a bigger impact when planted in groups.

Container:

Find a well-draining container and fill it with loose soil, making sure water won’t gather and stay at the bottom. Plant the tulip bulbs about 5-7” deep and 3-4” apart, placing them in the soil with their pointy ends up. Since containers often have limited space, you can also experiment with placing the bulbs closer together, but make sure they never touch. Water well once and wait for spring, or, when you live in hardiness zone 3-7, water well and bring the containers indoors, letting them spend the winter in a cool spot like an unheated garage or basement.