Comeback Bulbs: Save Potted Spring Bulbs for Years of Garden Blooms

Months before daffodils and tulips bloom outdoors, nurseries and supermarkets tempt us with potted spring bulbs. They flower for weeks indoors, but before tossing them, consider: some are worth saving and transplanting for years of repeat bloom.

Indoor Care

Keep in plenty of natural light. Daffodils benefit from cool, frost-free nights on a porch. Water when top half-inch of soil dries. Feed with balanced liquid fertilizer once during bloom and again just after. Pinch off faded flowers and water sparingly.

After Foliage Dies Back

Let plants go dry; keep bulbs in pots. In late summer, knock bulbs out and transplant into good garden soil.

Best Bets for Repeat Bloom

• Bluebells: Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica)—good except in deserts. Siberian bluebell (Scilla siberica) needs occasional winter snow.
• Crocuses: Most rebloom in cold-winter areas.
• Daffodils: Most naturalize and bloom for years. Paperwhite narcissus rarely blooms more than a couple of years except in mild Southern California.
• Freesias: Long-term performers in mild-winter climates only.
• Grape hyacinths (Muscari): Strong rebloomer and naturalizer almost everywhere.
• Hyacinths: Bloom ~3 years most places; best where snow falls.
• Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum): Strong rebloomer nearly everywhere.
• Tulips: Most hybrids bloom 1–2 years then peter out. Species tulips (T. bakeri, T. greigii) often bloom 5+ years.