Bulb-planting season is upon us and today we present three different tools to make that back-aching chore somewhat easier.

We say somewhat because our soil is clay heavy and no spring-loaded hand tool holds up under attacks on that clay.

Planting bulbs in our raised beds is, of course, another story. The soil there is loamy, rich and a dream to drill down into - which is why Cait plans to plant bulbs this fall in those beds alone.

The OXO Bulb Planter, seen left, is a down-on-your-knees planter. Push, twist and pull to make the hole. Drop in the bulb and then use the planter’s release lever to drop the soil back in the hole. Fiskars offers a similar, but less expensive, tool with a spring-release handle.

If kneeling isn’t your thing try the Fiskars extended bulb planter, seen at the top, which lets you dig the hole standing and then releases the soil back into the hole from the spring-loaded handle.

Shop around the ‘Net and at your local stores for the best prices and remember - there is no tool designed to make bulb planting effortless.