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Blind tulips
Approximately 50 percent of my tulips (about 3-4 years old) are blind this year. As I rely on them to follow the succession of the crocus and snowdrops, then daffs, on the outside of my property boundary, I'm wondering whether to leave them in once those that are in bud flower - or if I should grub them up and start again in the autumn. Do blind tulips (or narcissi, for that matter) recover and flower the following year if given the 'right' environmental conditions, or is it curtains for them?
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Throw them out. Tulips aren't long lasting in general and the ones in my garden can barely manage a whole year without giving in to utter exhaustion. Narcissi can bulk up and flower again but do you really want to risk it? Better to start again with something vigorous.
Some tulips are better than others at coming back. I googled 'Best tulips for repeat flowering' and got this: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/05/alys-fowler-tulip-bulbs
My Darwins have always been fairly good about coming back. You could try and ask a Dutchman, but it is probably a closely guarded secret, how they produce all those millions of bulbs for flowering each year. Probably treasonous to speak of it, their economy depends on them
I give tulips a second year. If they flower they can stay , if they don't they're on the compost heap.