High, wide and handsome

After such a wonderful day yesterday I had hoped that we might get another today, but unfortunately not! Dull and drizzly, not sitting out weather at all. I couldn't face walking anywhere so will hope to do better tomorrow!

Having to make use of a Home Blip I decided to go for this bamboo, Phyllostachys edulis, commonly known as Moso. A couple of years before I retired I saw a picture of this bamboo - https://gardenersnotebook.wordpress.com/tag/phyllostachys-edulis-moso/ - and read that it was hardy, tho' it grows better in a hot summer climate. Not to worry, I searched for seed and found an offer on eBay - £1.20 for 20 seeds. I ended up for some reason with only one seedling and when I came to leave Arduaine Garden decided to leave it behind in the glasshouse in the care of my deputy who promised to look after it. Unfortunately he left soon after the appointment of my successor and when I next visited I found it lying out in the yard, cut down to the pot level. I brought it home with me where it has recovered and is growing slowly. I don't think it will ever reach the proportions shown in the picture! I hope not, anyway! It's a native of China and Taiwan and said to be the world's largest hardy bamboo, with canes up to 90ft in height and 8" in diameter!

Limerick of the Day:

An inventive Egyptian from Cairo,
Manufactured a computerised biro,
Wrote a programme to train it,
And contrived to maintain it
In the vertical plane by a gyro.