We also grow quite a few tulips here, the species are about to fade now (at least the earliest). The best location seems to be in the ground under some maple trees here also some of the hybrids do very well. Particularly the Darwin hybrids seem to naturalise well. we have planted some hundreds of 'Apeldoorn' and they seem to thrive since they come back every year since planting (must be ten years ago now?)
This Picture is from early May 2015.
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Tulips come from regions with moisture during spring and drought during summer so the location under decidious trees is perfect. Our climate is almost too moist for tulips, but as the trees provide the dryness that is needed during summer (both shelter and sucking up water) this location becomes almost perfect. Shadow is not a problem either since once the leaves are on the trees, the tulips starts to wither. And since the tulips dry and disappear within a couple of months, grass - or rather weeds, grass do not grow well undr the trees- is mown with the rest of the lawn.
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Here are two of our three black cats as well. They are 'hired assasins' since we regularly have a problem with rodents, particularly mice - every 3 years or so, coming in the house, eating fruit, destroying anything a big problem actually.
The green stuff is a rather stiff birds net that originally inteded to keep birds of berries, but I have found out that used this way it also deters deers. Guess its a bit scary, since it moves in the wind.
