When I planted some tulips last fall, the next day I noticed a squirrel digging around them. I put some eyedropperfuls of peppermint oil on the holes I dug and they left them alone since. I was ready to have to repeat it, but I've never seen them back there again. They are Darwin tulips, so I'm really hoping for more than a few years from them.
I've got one tulip that comes up under the outer branches of a Mock Orange bush, it might get some east sun, but it's bloomed for the last 7 years that I know of, and I expect to see it this spring too. I keep thinking it's so out of place by itself, maybe a squirrel planted it, that I should dig it up. But it's such a persistent sight each spring that I figured it deserves to stay where it's at. The flowers are on the smaller side, but they are pretty, and I always cut them and bring them inside so I can at least see them. So I'm really hoping for a longer period of time from Darwins.