Definitive answer on bulbs in pots-empty or keep?

[teta]

I've had really stunning pots this year filled with layered bulbs from Crocus including narcissi,tulips.hyacinths and scilla and chinoxidae[spelling!].I have veered from wanting to leaving them to dry out over the summer to emptying and replanting to now[ following the recommendation in this months Gardeners World] keeping them and treating with a liquid feed.I don't want to keep them unless i can guarantee that the results will be equally as stunning as this year.The tulips that i left in the ground last year have grown mishapen and horrible so now i will replace those each year.Any advice?

Last year I tipped them out in late spring, kept them dry in the shed and planted up pots in about Oct. I don't think the tulips liked it, because the only ones that flowered were the newly bought ones. Tulips in the ground were fine (even planted far earlier than recommended, and not particularly free draining soil).

This year I am going to put some pots in a sunny but out of the way place, feed and top dress, and see what happens. Others I'm going to tip out and naturalise in the margins of the lawn. If nothing happens, it's only the lawn so I haven't wasted space waiting for something to appear.

Lexi thats a good idea to try a few pots.I might do the same and reuse the other pots for scented pelargoniums.The problem is the pots i like only come from one garden centre and are fairly large expensive ones.So i would rather reuse instead of buying more of them.The ones i empty i will replant the in the garden beds,apart from the tulips which i will chuck.If i naturalise in grass they just get squashed by the dog.Its monsoon conditions here today so i guess not much gardening will get done.