Ordering spring bulbs is an exciting job. An evening in with the fire lit, a cat on your lap, and bulb catalogues spread all around. Perfect!! But it’s not until several huge boxes actually arrive that you realise just what you have done; all these bulbs need to be planted into the ground!
With a thousand crocus to get in this week we were ready and prepared for the task. Previous years have taught us that the best approach is that of ‘scatter and stab’. The bulbs are scattered from waist height onto the grass area in which they are to be planted, their random positions giving a natural spread and feel to the planting when they appear in spring. Down on our knees we used our favourite gardening tool, the Genus hori-hori knife, to create a planting pocket for the bulbs.
With a stabbing action into the soil and a wiggle backwards and forwards the bulb is placed into the hole with the forefinger and thumb as if putting a coin in a purse. The heel of the palm then closes the hole over. You can build up quite a rhythm with this method and we find that up to a hundred bulbs can be planted in as little as five minutes.
Just be careful with that blade; it doesn’t pay to hurry with a hori.