What to do with spring bulbs?

*Astrantia*

have some spring bulbs in pots that have now finished flowering I have left the foliage on , I would like to use the pots for some summer flowers I’ve been growing from seed. 
I’d really like to put the bulbs in the garden, now I’ve moved  I’ve got a garden at last so very lucky!

 So should I plant them out now or take them out of the pots & dry them somehow, then plant out in the autumn, or leave them in the pots till autumn or just leave them alone to flower next year & get some new pots!

I've got a shady spot under trees where I’d like the daffodils and snowdrops & after seeing a magazine article recently I’d like to have a go at naturalising the tulips and some of the daffodils in the lawn which is sunny, they(admittedly stately home so they had hundreds) would plant the tulips in the lawns each year after they had finished flowering but I can’t find the magazine now to see if it said how & when they did it.

 I’m leaving a no mow area where they can go, & it’d be lovely to add more to them in the autumn when bulbs are back in the garden centre!

Loxley

I would plant them now, especially the snowdrops which are better planted in the green anyway. You could allow the others to die down and then store them but easier to let them die down in situ in the ground I think

BobTheGardener

Yep, the easiest way is to dig a pot-sized hole and pop-in the pot contents.  The roots will all be bound tightly together at this stage so it will usually come out as one thing.

*Astrantia*

Ok I’ll give it a go putting them in the ground now , digging a pot size hole will be hard as I’ve got very stony ground so I think I’ll have to separate the bulbs & try and plant them individually!