Can someone enlighten me about bulbs? (Warning: Spring Post!)

Oh ok - not planted tulips before so that's good to know. Is it possible to move them after flowering into a large box tub away from the border so they can do their thing without taking up border space?

 

Thank you. I'm hoping to plant a few hundred in the anticipation that we'll have a few casualties!

 

Thank you. I'll get some extra for pots as well to try that

 

I've never tried that but I would have thought you'd risk damaging the emerging perennials, or their roots.
Maybe you could plant your tulips in pots and stand the pots in the borders when the tulips are emerging/coming into flower (in between the perennials, not on top of them)

 

That certainly happens but I don't worry too much about it. The bulbs in my borders are mostly fairly tough cookies that spread and multiply well so it doesn't really matter (narcissi, crocuses, hyacinths and some of their smaller relations scilla/chionodoxa, and the previously-mentioned species-type tulips). If I accidentally dig some up I poke them back in.

 

You can certainly lift and store them, but that's also quite difficult as they can be a bit hit and miss if you don't have perfect conditions for that.
It's easier to have them in separate pots which you can then protect from the worst weather to prevent waterlogging, and if they're some of the more reliable ones, or the species ones, there's a good chance of them returning especially if you feed a few times as they die back. Otherwise, just accept that they won't all come back reliably, even if they're in decent ground and a good site.