May have gone a little OTT on bulbs!

Having cleared a little more space in the beds i have slowly begun planting my bulbs. Only problem is I have a tiny area to plant the bulbs in, even after extending the beds. I had a count up earlier and I have over 700. Doesn't sound alot to people who currently have 100,000 to plant but after planting 10 daffs and getting bored I appreciate it is going to take me a while!

I have realised that during the winter months with the bulbs beneath the surface the beds will be bare. Apart from wallflowers and winter flowering pansy's is there anything else that can bring a bit of temporary colour in until the spring comes. Something relatively low maintenance for this year.

Is there also another quicker method i could use to plant the bulbs?
I have tulips, daffs snow drops crocus's Alliums and bluebells. I only ended up with so many because the bulb section at my local garden centre is laid out as like a giant pick and mix!!

 

:hehe: Oh dear, that line made me laugh, as I'm the same. It sounds like fun until you start doesn't it?

How are you planting your bulbs? Digging a hole for each one? I ignore the spacing guidelines on the packets and plant them in groups of three in each hole (unless they are huge flowers, such as Alliums). A bulb planter can also help.

Can't help with winter colour as I tend to close my eyes and ignore the garden in winter, apart from a few Cornus. Hopefully someone else will have some ideas for you.

Enjoy the bulb planting:hehe:

 

Ah! That takes me back. In the late 1950s, my Grandfather had a bungalow built at the bottom of a sloping site, there was nothing you could do with 'the bank' (as it became known) at the back - it was over 80' high and 100' wide and covered with mature trees, thus, he decided to 'plant a few daffodils'. I was only small and I've no idea how many bulbs he bought but to me, it looked like tens of thousands! I can understand him getting bored so, when he did, he hit upon the idea of getting us children to do the work for him (there was some comment about us being more sure-footed on the slope - yeah, right!). Anyway, he gave us each a trowel and 12 bulbs at the time with the promise of a shilling for each 12 we planted. Now, moving bracken and brambles out of the way and digging down amongst tree roots isn't most children's idea of fun so the novelty quickly wore off and I made the princely sum of ... 1 shilling. My cousin on the other hand, who was older and wiser, made himself well over £5 - only years later did he confess that he'd hidden behind the trees, taken his bulbs and just thrown them around :lollol:

As for winter colour, I'm sure someone will come up with really good ideas, mine only include cyclamen, leucothoe, ophiopogon, sedum, asters, cineraria.

 

Been there lollyb, I use a bulb planter but even that is just horrendous on the wrists.


I have a few hundred to plant myself this year-this time tulips. I think I will just turn over the soil mix in some grit and push the bulbs into the soil whilst it is still crumbly.


As far as winter ideas. There are so many good plants that the only other thing I can suggest is that you think about structure as much as about colour. I have twisted hazels that look just delicious in the winter when their foliage has been lost-long twisted branches and stems. Mahonias work really well for that too ( and they are evergreen). Innteresting shapes can make a big impact, that and seed heads do a good job-I left my allium christophii heads on last year and they look really really good standing proud above the soil during winter.

 

Lollyb, maybe you can offer some pocket money to the little kidlets and see if they will do some planting for you.:yez:
Talking bulbs, I have been looking at daffs because they are such a good price.

 

Yes, planting bulbs can be a big job LollyB, but I do it like this.
I get my husband to go out with a spade and dig holes where I want to put the bulbs.
He finds that easy.
Then I go round and set the bulbs in the holes at the depth I want them and cover them over. I don't bother too much about the spacing distances as I think you get a better show if they are planted a bit thick.
Hope you know a willing man with a spade.:D

 

I had my front garden filled some years ago by the neighbourhood kids- I just told them that bulb planting is extremely difficult and little children cannot be trusted with such a task... Half an hour later I gave in and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on a fence post, sipping cider. :D (btw, the kids are still quite proud, they always come to see when "their" daffs come up in the spring. )
For winter colour, cyclamen are hard to beat. They just look so right.

 

Thank you all for your responses, I decided to stop moaning and get on with it! I am over half way through now. I had been planting each bulb seperately which was indeed a killer on the wrists!! in one or two of the beds I have dug out long trenches which has saved no end of time and sore knees! Then i have just worked in the individual ones around the trenches so when they flower they don't appear too organised.

Alice, I do know a helpful chap with a spade, unfortunately he has been using the "bad back" card this weekend, Although to be fair to him he did cut me out a patch of turf and then went back inside mumbling gardening was too much hard work.

I still have a way to go though and will be recruiting my nephew next weekend!

 

I've seen bulb planters with long handles which would save on the stooping as long as you drop the bulbs in the holes like bombs and then kick the earth back over :thumb:

 

Day 10 in the bulb planting extravaganza - can no longer feel my wrists! knees are ruined! I have run out of bulbs and need more! Didn't expect that!

I am just hoping they take and come March, April and May I have a lovely garden full of colour. Otherwise I will cry!