Kitchen Garden Forum

Advice please!. I'm spearheading a village project to plant up an area of grass in our local park with snowdrops to act as a perpetual memorial to loved ones and to help enhance the park . We,re planning to plant them in the green, in grass at the end of this month. Local people are being asked to donate some from their gardens, to bring along pots of them on the day or bulk plants purchased online so we,re going to have a combination of quantities to plant on the day.

How deep do we need to plant them to allow them to naturalise successfully?
Is it best to dig up patches of turf and plant in clumps or try and separate out the bulb singly to facilitate long term naturalisation?
If the leaves are then covered with the turfagain after the bulbs are planted will this spoil the chances of the bulbs flowering next year?
Would using a leek dibber tool work for planting single bulbs? Would lose compost need to be added to the holes to park down the roots?

I'm beginning to wonder what I've let myself in for so want to be as prepared as possible.

Dear Primrose, plant them at the same depth as what they were lifted, if planted too shallow, they might dry out when they need moisture at the most...when dying back. I would go for small clumps, for a quicker impact, maybe six to eight bulbs. I definately wouldn't cover the Snowdrop foliage with turf, if you are planting them in the green, or they will struggle to feed themselves for next year.
If your ground is soft enough, you could use a leek dibber...I think you woud have to put some compost or soil around them, more to stop the bulbs from drying out. If you want to give them the best chance of flowering next year, it might pay to give them a drop of water if it comes really dry....

Thanks OH. I must remember to allocate a clump for Pa Snip on planting day. As a gardener and nature lover, I hope he'd like to be remembered in this way.

What a wonderful idea, Primrose....actually, I think I might plant something too...

How is the planning of the Snowdrop planting coming along, Primrose?