Organisation

The whole community, young and old, can enjoy some ‘vitamin green’. And getting your hands dirty together is actually lots of fun! If that doesn’t break the ice, what would? But how do you organise something like this? Select a date and put a letter about your ‘vitamin green’ idea in all your neighbours’ mailboxes. Once you know who’s interested in getting together, it’s time to have a group of neighbours select the summer bulbs. Good choices would be gladioli, calla lilies, dahlias and triteleias. On bulb-planting day, everyone will bring their own garden gloves, trowels, sprinkling can, dustpan and brush, etc. Then all you have to do is start planting!

Planting the bulbs

If you want to get the most enjoyment from your ‘green vitamins’, the best months to plant your summer bulbs are April and May. During these months, garden centres, DIY stores, and various other sales channels are offering a wide choice of summer bulbs. Planting is easy: dig a hole about twice as deep as the bulb is tall, put the bulb or bulbs into the hole, and fill the hole back up with soil. After planting, give the bulbs some water to get their development off to a good start. When the bulbs start to flower, the whole community can enjoy a dose of their green vitamins.

Tip: Begonias and dahlias really appreciate the warmth of the sun. That’s why it’s best to plant them just below the soil surface instead of twice as deep as they are tall.

Pleasing the eye

To add to the beauty of your community, it would be nice to plant various kinds of summer bulbs in the same colour next to one another. Simply mix them all together in a container and then go about planting them. Another option: summer bulbs can also be planted in a particular shape, such as a heart. This makes your ‘vitamin green’ even more delightful!