An autumnal activity at the Wellington Botanic Garden involving lots of gardeners: prepare the soil of a number of beds, measure up the planting areas, define them with markers and strings, arrange the bulbs in dense array in these areas, start planting, and keep on planting til all the little treasures are buried (at an appropriate depth.)
Then wait til spring.
A big bed, an abundance of tulip bulbs and a hard-working posse of gardeners (what is the word for a group of gardeners, I wonder?)
Another bed, more gardeners, and evidence of careful progress - bare soil behind the kneeling gardeners covering some already planted bulbs.
A feature at the Botanic Garden in spring is the annual tulip festival, and this is where it all begins. It is a fascinating sight - tulip bulbs in their thousands, like little parcels hiding the life and beauty that will appear, have to be planted. The planting takes ages, even when so many hands are at work. And it will be months before the brilliant display is seen - usually late September.
We have to get through winter before we get to enjoy the tulips - but it's a happy anticipation.