Knowing that I would likely take any free plant regardless of how dead they look and try to revitalise them she got permission to delve into that skip and pull those bamboos out. I have to admit all 3 of them do look dead and definitely wouldn't sell to the public but I'm one for giving things a go because you never know just how much life they have left in them.
The Bamboo are Golden Bamboo and are about 10ft tall and very well established, each pot would sell at £40 each (they still had labels on) so the main problem was going to be getting them home as we'd only arrived in a car. We squished them in though and to passing motorists we must have looked a weird sight, my daughter and I were completely hidden by dead foliage.
Once we got them home it was late so I stuck each rootball in a bucket, filled it with water and left them to soak overnight - I actually
The next day I potted each one up into bigger buckets in homemade compost (garden top soil, compost, manure and grit) and mixed in a handful of Blood, fish and bonemeal to each one, watered them in well and cut a couple of feet from the tops because they're too big for the polytunnel otherwise.
If the culms weren't so green and sappy I may have thought it a hopeless case but there's even tiny little buds coming through the culms so I'm keeping fingers crossed. If they show signs of revival they'll get potted up again next year into huge tubs - they just will not survive the winter here outside.
I managed to snap a piccie of this little bird today and would love to know what it is (I'm thinking some kind of Bunting?) so if any of you know please comment below.
Although I've been busy out in the garden today there hasn't been any significant change so I thought I'd pop in some photos here to bring some brightness to the page (plus we all need to see what we can look forward to when summer finally arrives)
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How big was the bird - blackbird/robin size?
ReplyDeleteFinger crossed for the bamboo - usually it takes a fair bit to kill them.
Robin size Sue. I thought it would be a corn bunting but it doesn't have the chunky beak of a corn bunting. Other than that it looks exactly the same.
DeleteAny ideas?
Linda
My guess is some sort of pipit - maybe meadow pipit?
DeleteThanks Sue, I think you're spot on there. What a lovely new bird to be seeing and there was me moaning I don't get much lol.
DeleteLinda
oh it's shameful the state some of these DIY stores leave their plants in....BUT....sometimes to our advantage. Hoorah for you...I'm sure they'll come back to life! :-)
ReplyDeleteI know Jane but like you said, it's to our advantage sometimes lol. I've also got a whole heap of Lavender plants doing well from the same place. I guess they get to a certain state and then just can't sell them.
DeleteFingers crossed there is life in them.
Thanks for popping by
Linda
I'm going for Tree Pipit - and what bird wouldn't be tempted by the manure heap?
ReplyDeleteIt's very hard to tell the difference between the 2 Pipits isn't it!
DeleteThat manure heap is going down fast so I guess I'm going to have to go get some more just to keep the Pipits and chickens happy lol.
Thanks for popping by Mal
Linda
Having read what the RSPB say I think Mal is right - it is more likely to be a tree pipit.
DeleteHi, you probably won't get to this and that's okay. I found your blog a week ago and read all of it. Then I made a blog. I'm on the other side of the world in extremely dry and sunny conditions but also trying to garden though I am far less knowledgeable than you. If that's dirt and not manure that bird is standing on (I'm sorry I have no idea what kind of bird!), that's the best soil I've seen. My soil is basically sand, and rocks. Keep up your awesome blog, I love reading it, and thank you for being a good inspiration :)
ReplyDelete