"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message

Why do you want to use a plastic mesh basket when planting bulbs?
I've never bothered lifting bulbs annually. I would think that
lifting the same bulbs annually must disrupt their roots and feeding
Bulbs planted in plastic sheeting would surely get so water logged
they would rot; but in any case, surely plastic or fabric sticking out
of the border soil, on view for six months, would be a whole lot more
unsightly than a few weeks of fading leaves?

My borders are so small that if I left the bulbs to die down I'd not have
space for anything else. After I've lifted the baskets (soil and all) I
then drop in something for the summer. I must confess that I've not tried
the plastic sheeting thing, but my garden teacher said he does that (I
presume it has lots of holes poked in), and the plastic is covered in soil
leaving just a tiny bit to grab hold of.

I've done the basket thing for a few years and the bulbs come back every
spring. I leave the bulbs in the baskets until the autumn so they have a
chance to multiply, and then put fresh soil in the baskets and replant in
the autumn.