THOUSANDS of bulbs have been planted in a matter of minutes at a popular Dunbar park.

Workers were busy at the town's Winterfield Park last month as they get ready to ensure there is a burst of colour in the months ahead.

Jacquie Bell, a member of Dunbar Community Council, flagged up the horticultural highlight at the group’s most recent meeting.

She said: “I got absolutely frozen to the bone up at Winterfield Park.

“A large lorry came up from the south of England and in 15 minutes he had planted 28,400 mixed bulbs alongside where they are putting in the wildlife garden at Winterfield.

“It was quite amazing to see how quickly it was done.

“It would have been several days of manpower but it was all done in 15 minutes.”

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The work was carried out by Lubbe & Sons with a special machine skimming a layer of turf, to a precise depth and administering the flower bulbs to the best distribution for growth.

Lubbe believes there is no one else in the UK using this method. 

The firm used its machine as a special favour to Friends of Winterfield and East Lothian Council. 

Esther Hughes, Friends of Winterfield chairperson, said: “We are so grateful to Dan Lubbe for taking the time to stop and plant our bulbs; Lubbe’s Fraser Skells and East Lothian Council amenities services for organising things. 

"It actually took longer to unload and prepare the machine than it did to plant them! 

"If we’d had to plant the bulbs by hand, it would have taken a very long time indeed.”

READ MORE: Volunteers planting fruit trees in Winterfield Park in Dunbar

Friends of Winterfield were able to buy the bulbs because of their successful funding application for £2,500 from The Mushroom Trust. 

The Mushroom Trust is a Scottish charity that aims to support the improvement of green spaces through an emphasis on horticultural aspects in Scotland, Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The chairperson added: “We were delighted to be awarded this funding during the summer.

“Our application fully met the criteria of the trust’s aims. 

"Planting flower bulbs provides essential feeding for pollinating insects early in the season and helps to retain soil moisture and fix vital nutrients into the soil. 

"We chose the site to join onto the bulbs we funded last year and to create a welcoming stretch of flowers at the entrance of the Wildlife Garden.”

READ MORE: Dunbar: Winterfield works make park a hedgehog haven

The Lubbe Bee Happy bulb mixture consists of early flowering crocus followed by chionododoxa, naturalising tulips, anemone, miscari and ends with nectaroscordum, which is a combination of spring flowering bulbs which are attractive for insects and other pollinators from February through till May/June.

Friends of Winterfield reminded walkers in the park to take care not to walk over the newly planted area and the tree line area on the west of the park, as the bulb shoots can be damaged.