Plants grown from bulbs, corms and tubers have very different internal structures but are alike in possessing a fleshy body from which roots are produced and in which food and water are stored. Due to this latter attribute, most have special cultivation needs. Thus, it has been a somewhat difficult task to establish and maintain a garden having such plants within it.
Crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips are all grown from bulbs or corms and their showy flowers appear annually when they are properly planted and provided with sufficient light and food. As is well known, their bulbs (or crocus corms) are typically bought dry and planted in small clusters or groups during the fall season. If not planted as soon as they are acquired, the bulbs will sprout and will probably fail to produce satisfactory flowers.
It is recommended by many plant specialists that bulbs should be planted in a confined space since they flower best when their roots are somewhat restricted. This confined space can be provided by digging a hole in the soil surface that is approximately 1.5 times the diameter of the bulb to be placed within it. In the alternative, multiple bulbs can be placed side-by-side in a somewhat larger hole.
Since most urban flower gardens only permit the use of hand tools in their confined work areas, excavating small holes can be grueling work often requiring a gardener to toil on his hands and knees for long periods of time. Thus, gardeners desiring to plant large numbers of bulbs typically must accomplish the task in several modest steps with frequent breaks between them. A need, therefore, exists for a device that will assist a gardener in excavating small holes in the soil surface for planting bulbs with rapidity and minimal physical effort.