How NOT to plant Bulbs

Some people are barmy and we're certainly among them. Last year we bought a sack of mixed daffodil bulbs to plant around the sycamore trees that we put in last Autumn. So we decided that each year when we ordered our bulbs we would include a 25kg sack of daffodils to gradually plant down the right hand side of the alley which we have started to develop. From recollection these bags contained about 600 bulbs and last year it took us about 2 days to plant them. Our memories must be already deteriorating.....we estimate that this bag is going to take to the end of next week to plant, and we have already been planting for three days. Furthermore the conditions in the alley are making it almost impossible to plant the bulbs. But we will battle on regardless!!

We have had virtually no rain for 4 months, hence the soil is bone dry beneath the established trees. Did I say soil, foolish, that is virtually nonexistent. I think that the alley was once an access farm track so is predominantly stone.

Hence our strategy is to first spike the ground

then dig it and remove the loose stones (transferred to the dry river bed, which has been under construction forever)

Scrubble to create a hole

then plant the daffodil

and finally try to find enough earth or compost to cover it.

So that's as far as you get in a morning!

Should be a good display in the Spring. Hope springs eternal!!