The problem: remembering where you planted those bulbs last year. In the fall, your spring bulbs lie dormant and hidden underneath the soil, with no way of knowing where the heck they are. The sickening feeling of  having your shovel or spade pierce a bulb you’ve previously planted is one you want to avoid. Plus, you want to make sure you have spaced your bulbs around, so you have some spring colour everywhere.

One way of marking, is the traditional plant label. Every time you plant bulbs, add a label. This works in theory, but labels can get lost, or the words fade, so you might fail with this method. You also might not like labels sticking up all over your garden.

This is where the handy digital camera becomes part of your garden tool set. It’s great for documenting anything garden related. (I take pictures of all my plant tags on newly purchased plants, too). This year, I took pictures of the spots where I planted my bulbs: a quick snap of the package cardboard photo of the bulbs I’ve just planted, and I’ll never forget what I planted where. Remember to include some recognizable part of the garden when you take your ID shot. I made sure to get a large planter in my shot, to help me locate the bulbs. Next year when I’m adding to my bulb collection, I’ll have these pics to refer to, and know not to dig there.