Tulips are tasty. Deer, rodents and other critters feast on their flowers, leaves and bulbs. Unless you can defend against these animals, plant other bulbs such as daffodils. Daffodils are poisonous and are usually just sampled by deer and left alone by rodents.

The second problem with tulips is their staying power. Many kinds of tulips aren't really suited for our climate, despite the fact that tulips are native to central Asia, where the climate is similar to ours. The reason is that almost all tulips have been bred in the Netherlands. While central Asia and the Front Range share cold winters, ample sun, clay soil and dry conditions, Holland is rainy, cloudy and mild. Tulips that thrive in Dutch gardens don't necessarily perform well here.

The ones that thrive here possess the strong constitutions of the original wild tulips. The best performers are those in the group called "Darwin Hybrids." They include red "Apeldoorn" and "Golden Apeldoorn," the two best-selling tulips in the world. They are tough. Others in the group include scarlet and yellow "Oxford Elite," red and cream "American Dream," orange and yellow "Orange Bowl," maroon and gold "World's Favorite," white "Ivory Floradale," salmon pink "Big Chief," fuchsia "Spring Song," and pink "Pink Impression."

Also noted for their durability are several other groups of hybrids. These are shorter and a bit earlier to bloom, and often feature uniquely striped leaves. "Kaufmanniana Hybrids" are suitable for the front of the border. Examples include cream and rouge red "Heart's Desire" and pale yellow and red "Chopin." "Greigii Hybrids" such as white and red "Pinocchio" are similar.

"Fosteriana Hybrids" are also noteworthy, such as the emperor series, as well as "Zombie." The latter is one of the longest-living tulips for our area. I know of vigorous clumps in Denver that are more than 40 years old. Its flowers are quite large and the petals are pale red edged in white. It opens up like a water lily on a sunny day. The name is strange, of course, but I can only speculate that "Zombie" tulips seem to never die.

All tulips do best in a sunny site. Plant the bulbs with about 5 or 6 inches of soil over them. Clay soil isn't a problem for them. Tulip foliage should never be cut off prematurely. Let it wither naturally, allowing the bulbs to store as much energy as possible for the next spring's display.