Tulips given as gift plants have been forced in a greenhouse but can be planted outside after they are done flowering. The trick is to keep the green leaves as  healthy as possible as they slowly turn brown. This is because the old foliage is what makes the blooms for next spring. Cut off the faded tulip flowers immediately. Tulips must have well drained soil that is dry in the summer - do not plant the bulbs in a spot where you will be watering other plants during the summer. They also need to go deep into the soil so that the bulb is covered with at least 6 inches of soil. When you transplant the potted tulip bulbs into the garden pull the clump apart so that one tulip goes into each hole spaced six inches apart. Remember not to damage the remaining leaves as you plant the bulb. Your tulips may be destroyed by deer, voles, mice or other burrowing creatures and too much rain can cause leaf blights and fungal diseases on those remaining leaves. For all these reasons most gardeners just add the potted tulips to the compost heap after they are done flowering.  (Remove them from the pot first) If you like a challenge, try transferring your bulbs to the garden this spring and next year send us a photo of your success. One more thing - tulips need a cold spell in the winter to prepare to bloom. If you live in a warm winter climate, the desert or tropics, you won't be tiptoeing through any home grown tulips.   Keep growing, Marianne Binetti