I don't know anything about tulips, but I think you are okay with planting the Gardenia outdoors. I definitely would not leave a Gardenia outdoors in a pot over the Winter, since pot soil temps. get far colder than the ground and can freeze fairly easily. That could be lethal for your Gardenia. If you do plant it outside at this time, be sure to use plenty of mulch to keep the roots warm. As always, Gardenias need good soil drainage as well. Finally, I would cover the Gardenia this Winter if temps. fall below 18-20 degrees, just to give it some extra protection from stressful hard freezes during its first months in the ground.

Thanks for the tips. I did cover it up last year when it snowed, but I don't think the temps ever got critically low. Guess I'm just fortunate it didn't die!

I'm still shivering and planting bulbs outside - thanks to Brent & Becky's half-price sale. It's not too late if you can stand the cold and get your shovel into the ground.

I have planted tulips and daffodils as late as the day after Christmas (gotta love those after Christmas sales at garden centers) and had no problems with them blooming the following year.

I was all prepared to plant my tulip bulbs during Christmas break (teacher) and we got dumped with two feet of snow which stayed on the ground for the rest of the winter. The bulbs that are planted are just now popping through the ground, is it too late for my bulbs to be planted? I have my tulips in the fridge.. what should I do with them?

Plant them and hope for the best?
Store them for the season and get them in the ground this fall? If so, how should I store them?

I was so looking forward to spring flowers, and after this past winter, it would have been wonderful to see the burst of color.