A few years ago I spent a goodly chunk of the garden budget on a black bamboo.  It took a couple of years to establish, but last year sent up huge stems. It looked really great.
But this year it has decided to set seed, has sent up no new shoots and the leaves are dropping.  So I guess it's dying!  Last year was a gregarious flowering & dying year for it world wide, but i haven't come across any cases in 2023 yet.
The challenge will be trying to collect and germinate the seed - anybody have any experience or advice?!

Crystal Balls at the ready
What do you predict will happen in your garden or plot during June. Anything you're looking forward to, in particular?

Thank you to those who entered the Birthday story competition.

I think all the entries were very good but there could only be one winner

An objection has been raised as the winning story had divine intervention! We are currently seeking guidance from a higher level, as to whether any rules were broken

In all seriousness, well done Vinny...I think we all had fun trying to read your story with a Geordie accent!

I will be in contact with Vinny this week to arrange the prize.

A personal thank you from me to everyone who makes this a fun place to visit.

It has to be asked - who is growing Tromboncino this year and is prepared to show us theirs for a laugh later this year?

You all know the "Rules" by now!!
Grow a Tromba/Trombone/Tromboncino squash and show us photos of them that will make us laugh!
Funny shapes, massive girth. longest length, curly ones always welcome. Big Grin
Whatever your's looks like, we promise to laugh!!

On Tuesday MrPP and I mowed the grass at a friend's watermill - he flew round the meadow with the tractor (most of it is left uncut) while I carefully cut the garden, lots of borders full of iris and roses and hibiscus, much of it on an island between the race and overflow.
Between Tuesday night and Thursday we had almost 50mm of rain, the river went from 50cm to 4m deep and most of the borders have vanished along with huge logs, trees and part of the mill race overflow.
Still, cutting the grass will be much quicker next week!
The owners are pretty relaxed about it - it goes with the territory of living beside a mountain river,  I guess. Definitely not for me, though.

Could someone tell me how to post pictures please.

Growing from seed for the first time. When would you put seedlings out to start hardening off? Don’t know why but growing eucalyptus seems really alien to me. I know they do well here . There’s some massive ones in one of the gardens I visit.

   

What's your score?
Don't think I've done Number 3 but all the rest are familiar.  9/10

Can I grow ramblings red stripe in a hanging basket? Never grown a ramblings tomato before so not sure what they do or like.

Compare my cheapo ranunculus from the supermarket with Scarlet’s superb specimens!
I really like mine too, but ………. They’re not much different to poppies!

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