Tulips

Question

I live in South Texas and planted some tulips in a large barrel this past year in January. They bloomed but only briefly.
Question 1…when should I have planted them?
#2 now that I have taken them out of the barrel can I put them in the refrigerator till the next planting?
Susan Gardner

Answer 1

If the buds aren't eaten by deer or rabbits, a burst of hot weather will doom your blooms. That is true up north as well. Perhaps planting where there is afternoon shade will encourage them to linger. Be sure to keep tulips in bloom well watered.
Here is an article that discusses growing tulips in Tx and which varieties do the best. Note it was written in 2008. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2008/oct08/Tulips.html