In this video, This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook demonstrates the right way to plant spring-blooming bulbs in the fall.
Steps:
1. Use pointed shovel to dig large hole about three times deeper than diameter of the bulbs.
2. Add compost and low-nitrogen bulb fertilizer to the hole; mix into soil with a three-prong cultivator.
3. Press one flower bulb into the center of the hole, then add four or five more bulbs in a circle around the center bulb; space the bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart.
4. Fill the hole with soil, then water thoroughly.
5. Cover hole with a thick layer of mulch or dead leaves.