We broke on, but the second was okay. It would have come from a garden centre.
It dug really neat holes in the lawn, perfect for larger bulbs. I remember bending down all the time anyway to crumble the soil back in. I noticed Monty just popped the whole plug back in. Bulb foliage must be made of stronger stuff than I allowed for!
For clusters of smaller bulbs it was quicker to lift a flap of lawn up & tuck them all under, as they can have closer spacing & less depth.
Where the soil is looser in a flower bed & a lot of bulbs are going in, I find staying down & using a trowel much quicker.
I have also been searching for Monty's bulb planter and found the precise tool, listed as an East German army digging spade! The cost was £6.99 plus postage £8.99 on ebay and would require the metal spade blade removing and a hole drilling through the base of the shaft through which a steel bar could be tightly fitted to rest your foot on when pressing the tool into the ground. I am ordering one.
A search for bulb planter long wooden shaft will bring up the entry under East Germanex army spade, and a picture confirms the rounded top of the shaft Monty was leaning on.
The gardening club chain of garden centres have them I saw them last week weren't too expensive either I think about ten pounds if you tap in gardening club on the internet should tell you if you have a branch near we live in Thanet Kent they used to be called wyvalle I think .Such a good tool .
Hmm. I want one like MD used too. The hand held one I have is hard work on my lawn. One shop suggested a crow bar. I am trying a spade, I.e. two cuts about half a spade depth, take out the grass and soil, pop in two bulbs and fill in. Quite quick and fairly easy. It would take too long to get one sent from overseas to NZ. I want to put them in NOW! Amazing what a sunny day does...
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You're right gab, he did use two but I didn't want to complicate the issue by mentioning!
Thanks both, good advice and I've seen the de-wit one.
I have also been searching for Monty's bulb planter and found the precise tool, listed as an East German army digging spade! The cost was £6.99 plus postage £8.99 on ebay and would require the metal spade blade removing and a hole drilling through the base of the shaft through which a steel bar could be tightly fitted to rest your foot on when pressing the tool into the ground. I am ordering one.
A search for bulb planter long wooden shaft will bring up the entry under East Germanex army spade, and a picture confirms the rounded top of the shaft Monty was leaning on.
There are several listed on Amazon and Ebay. They are reviewed in The English Garden magazine, October 2013 issue.
I'm going for the Joseph Bentley long handle bulb planter.
Maybe this is what you are searching for, it is about four foot long and the ends are shown in the pictures
If this is what you are looking for contact me [email protected] for details
Thanks everyone for very good ideas/advice - my bulbs are here so I'd better make a decision and get cracking!
Bridget.
Hmm. I want one like MD used too. The hand held one I have is hard work on my lawn. One shop suggested a crow bar. I am trying a spade, I.e. two cuts about half a spade depth, take out the grass and soil, pop in two bulbs and fill in. Quite quick and fairly easy. It would take too long to get one sent from overseas to NZ. I want to put them in NOW! Amazing what a sunny day does...
I have seen them in Home Bargains they were £4.
I don't need one but they looked good.
I saw some in Wilkinsons, size of a normal spade and the foot pegs looked robust too, think they were £7.99?