What to buy for a Flower Bulb Planting Day

Use this shopping list to prepare a Flower Bulb Planting Day for volunteers working outdoors. It covers the planting supplies, shelter, serving equipment and sign-in materials needed at the venue. Buy the bulbs early enough to check quantities and varieties before the event, then group tools by planting section. Plan refreshments as carefully as the gardening equipment, especially if volunteers will stay through lunch.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Gardening equipment

Tulip bulbsqty 600
Daffodil bulbsqty 600
Crocus bulbsqty 400
Hyacinth bulbsqty 200
Plant trowelsqty 25
Hand rakesqty 10
Work glovesqty 70
Knee padsqty 20
Bucketsqty 12
Ropeqty 4
Wooden marker postsqty 40

Furniture

Party tentsqty 2
Tablesqty 6
Chairsqty 30
Folding benchesqty 4

Tableware

Reusable cupsqty 80
Platesqty 80
Cutlery setsqty 80
Soup ladlesqty 4

Kitchen

Thermos flasksqty 6
Cutting boardsqty 3
Bread knivesqty 3
Serving plattersqty 8
Coolersqty 4

Equipment

Kettlesqty 2

Lighting

LED light stringsqty 4
LED lampsqty 6

Decorations

Route signsqty 8
Information boardsqty 4
Name badgesqty 80

Safety

First aid kit
Safety vestsqty 6

Cleaning

Waste binsqty 6
Hand broomsqty 3

Catering

Groceries
- Coffee - 2 packs
- Black tea - 2 boxes
- Herbal tea - 1 box
- Sugar - 1 kilo
- Milk - 8 liters
- Oat milk - 3 liters
- Coffee milk - 2 bottles
- Spa Blauw - 8 bottles
- Spa Red - 4 bottles
- Lemonade syrup - 2 bottles
- Apple juice - 4 packs
- Orange juice - 4 cartons
- Cola - 4 bottles
- Cola Zero - 4 bottles
- Vegetable soup - 8 liters
- Tomato soup - 6 liters
- Whole wheat bread - 12 loaves
- White bread - 6 loaves
- Butter - 1 kilo
- Young cheese - 2 kilos
- Back ham - 1.5 kilos
- Hummus - 6 tubs
- Peanut butter - 2 jars
- Apple syrup - 2 jars
- Cucumbers - 8 pieces
- Tomatoes - 2 kilos
- Lettuce - 4 heads
- Paprika chips - 4 bags
- Plain chips - 4 bags
- Snacks - 3 bags
- Cookies - 6 packs
- Apples - 6 kilos
- Bananas - 4 kilos
- Grapes - 3 kilos
- Mayonnaise - 1 bottle
- Ketchup - 1 bottle
- Napkins - 200 pieces
- Paper towels - 6 rolls
- Trash bags - 2 rolls
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Hand soap - 3 bottles
- Disinfecting wipes - 3 packs
- Toilet paper - 12 rolls

Tips

Order the tulip, daffodil, crocus and hyacinth bulbs at least 2–3 weeks before planting day. This gives you time to check the delivery and replace missing or damaged bulbs.
Count one planting trowel, pair of work gloves and knee pad per active planter where possible. Keep extra gloves and tools available for late registrations or breakages.
Provide at least 2 reusable cups per person if you will serve drinks more than once. Keep coolers for cold drinks and thermos flasks or kettles for hot drinks separate from the planting area.
Set aside 1 registration table, name badge and route information for every volunteer group. Bring extra name badges—around 10% more than the confirmed number—to cover walk-ins and mistakes.
Allow 60–90 minutes to assemble party tents, tables, chairs and lighting before volunteers arrive. Put route signs and information boards in place before unloading the bulbs and tools.

Frequently asked questions

How many flower bulbs should I buy per person?: Use the planting plan and bed size to calculate the total rather than buying by headcount. As a practical buffer, order 5–10% more bulbs than the marked planting beds require, so damaged bulbs and uneven spacing do not stop the work.
How many gardening tools do I need for a bulb planting day?: Aim for one plant trowel and one pair of work gloves per active planter, plus one hand rake and bucket for each planting section. Add about 10% spare tools if attendance is uncertain or volunteers are likely to share equipment.
When should I buy bulbs for a planting event?: Buy or order the bulbs at least 2–3 weeks before the event. Check the delivery immediately and keep the bulbs in a cool, dry, ventilated place until they are brought to the venue.
How much food and drink do I need for volunteers?: Plan 2–3 drinks per person for the first hour, then roughly 1 drink per person for each additional hour. For a lunch event, allow one plate and cutlery set per person, with around 10% extra for replacements and unexpected guests.

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