The city in question is the industrial port of Ventspils and the bulbs in question are snowdrops.
According to an image on the city's official website, the finished flowerbed will be somewhat predictably in the shape of Latvia.
Jau sestdien, 8.aprīlī, Sarkanmuižas pļavā gaidāma Lielākā sniegpulkstenīšu stādīšana pasaulē! Pasākuma programma - https://t.co/JKhGrZUkvI pic.twitter.com/twIu2c9Md1
— Ventspils.lv (@Ventspilslv) April 3, 2017
"On Saturday, April 8, the largest snowdrop planting in the world will take place, during which it will be attempted to set a new world record," the city declares.
Mayor Aivars Lembergs goes even further, declaring that municipal resources involving 1,300 people divided into 52 teams will plant the short-lived spring flowers in order to secure a Guinness World Record.
Ginesa rekorda uzstādīšanai @Ventspilslv pieteikušās 52 komandas ~1300 cilvēki. Gaidīsim arī individuālos sniegpulkstenīšu stādītājus! pic.twitter.com/yN73X1tMyV
— Aivars Lembergs (@AivarsLembergs) April 5, 2017
In the unlikely event that you are unaware who holds the current record for largest bed of snowdrops, it is of course Brookvale park in Birmingham, UK where on November 9, 2014, 850 people planted 4,250 bulbs in 15 minutes. That's quite a lot of Brummie bulb-planting indeed.
Securing the new record for the honor of Ventspils and Latvia requires beating all three above-mentioned parameters – number of participants, number of bulbs, and time. So the action in Ventspils should be frenzied indeed, a veritable blur of bulb-planting, with the tubers inserted ground-wise with the maximum of skill and efficiency under the scrutinizing gaze of Guinness World Records officials flown in specifically to ascertain that all is above board and underground.
One can only imagine the howls of dismay in Brexit Britain when they realize they have been comprehensively out-bulbed and that while they still have a fairy large display of snowdrops in Brookvale park, it is not even in the shape of the UK, let alone Latvia.
Meanwhile, Ventspils will gain new fame as the snowdrop bulb speed-planting capital of the world, which will likely give a considerable boost to international tourism to the city, which is currently renowned for its collection of large ornamental blue plastic cows and political in-fighting for control of its main industrial assets.
Check this special information page to watch a live count-down to bulb insertion D-day.
