Planting Bluebells and Snowdrops in School Wood

I've been asked to organise planting some Bluebells and Snowdrops in the wood at the kids' school.

Presumably still "in time" for Bluebells as mine as only just flowering, Snowdrops ?? (I'm going to have a look today 'coz someone told me there are already lots of snowdrops in the woods but no Bluebells)

The Snowdrops I planted here I use a bulb planter and stuck 4 in each hole, with the holes in a random pattern about 9" - 12" apart

What about Bluebells? Would they be better 1-per-hole? and what planting distance?

Plan was to just take my "stamp-on" bulb planter and make holes and have the kids plant bulbs and replace divots. Probably obvious, but if you just keep stamping holes the divots-before-last just falls out of the bulb planter, so I can just go around stamping them out like a mad thing and the kids plant the bulbs and retrieve a near by divot to replace.

But I'm ears-open to any other ideas. Presumably we need to plant several '000 to get a decent effect (its a decent sized wood ...)

 

I think you may be too late for them to flower this year ya know. Most of my bluebells have died back now and snowdrops i think flower earlier than bluebells. You could still plant them though if your doing a larger are you could just plant them in groups of 2 or 3 accross the entire erea they all spread really fast and by next year the groups of 2 and 3 could be 5 or 6....like you did with snowdrops really

Hope that helps....

 

Kristen, seems to me you have already worked out a good way of going about it. Sounds great to me.

 

I think groups of 3 sounds OK. There's no doubt they will bulk up quickly.
A single Bluebell looks a little forlorn initially.
As already stated they won't flower this year, but are likely to look good from next year and improve year on year, so leave spacing to allow multiplication.
Tell the community to be patient. You will see the benefit of your efforts next Spring.
The kids will expect a blue carpet next week.

 

Don't worry about the "this year" thing, this is a gift from the year-group that are leaving - so they understand its a future-year thing.

 

I love bluebell woods they loook stunning so do snow drops

 

Summary:

Do you think it is too late to be planting Snowdrops "in the green"? (Could wait for next season)

What planting distance would you do for Bluebells? (My inclination is to establish a nice drift, over time, rather than how they will look in the next year or two)

 

I don't think it's too late as the ground is nice and moist, not too hot and if there a straight transplant job, they should be in good condition. It will be lovely to watch it all mature over time. NICE ONE

 

I'd just ask if the bluebells are our native ones or those ghastly Spanish jobs? The biggest task I have in my garden is trying to get rid of them. They grow everywhere and are a complete pain and so coarse in comparison to our lovely native blue bells. I think I am right in saying it is illegal to sell these and on the "get rid of list" like Japanese Knotweed? Others on here will no doubt be more knowledgeable that I.
Re planting Bluebells. I don't unfortunately have any of our native one and only have "expertise" on digging up the Spanish ones. Re Snowdrops, I have 1000's of those and yes your plan sounds fine. If you have a really bountiful supply then I'd maybe plant a few more than 5 in each hole. Depending on the location, if it is quite a dry area then plant the Snowdrops about 4 or so inches deep. If it's wet then you don't need to plant so deep...less effort! I have moved Snowdrops 100s of times both in the green and not. As long as the bulbs aren't left to dry out then I have found you can move them any time. I have lifted loads not in the green and then left them in damp soil in a barrow or the like until I had time to replant and no problems. Hope this helps and in time I'm sure you wood will repay all the hard work.

 

Could`nt agree more Silu There is nothing more satisfying than the feeling of a crushed hyacinth under ones boot

 

its a good point, but don't worry, I know there is a difference, and have selected a reliable supplier (although a local RHS Judge told me yesterday that so had he and after planting theyall turned out to be Spanish, and what a PITA it was to try to both REMOVE and REPLANT them :( so if he can be hoodwinked I/we need to be vigilent.

You mean Spanish Bluebells? If so not to my knowledge (happy to be corrected) but native Bluebells cannot be dug up from the wild, so plants for English bluebells can only come from cultivated sources, or raised from seed from English stock.

Ah, good point, yes I was aware, but had forgotten, that provided they are planted without delay the timing is not important. They will still have "green" on them, so I don't think its too late.