Free Ranger
Adult Guinea Pig
Alright, so I 'rescued' the last Phyllostachys nigra in Homebase as it looked like it had been in the wars and they had 20% off in the gardening bit and then they offered another '10% off everything' voucher and we had other stuff to buy too. I have coveted P. nigra for a while (black bamboo - v stylish!) and I had birthday money to spend on 'a thing' etc. etc. I go into shock when I part with anything over a fiver so it'll sit in it's pot for a few days while I calm down! It's a big one and it needs to go into the ground and obvs the tiny garden is heaving but the main thing is the piggies - well currently Flora - who is just delighted with everything! I was thinking how pandas eat it so how toxic can it be...? But then pigs aren't pandas. The leaves will fall, that's one thing, but there will be new stems sprouting too. I can jiggy things around but there are essentially 2 options:
1. The open bit where she can have at it and just protect any new shoots - it will also provide piggy cover for summer days. This is my preference as the rasps are not so vigorous here anymore because of tree shade. The bamboo doesn't have to start so low down! I'm assuming the older hard stems will be ignored as they don't chew any canes I shove in the ground to support plants.
2. The little bit she's blocked off from - but it will get rather less sun and it will look a bit weird!
Any opinions or experience from the gardeners out there?
1. The open bit where she can have at it and just protect any new shoots - it will also provide piggy cover for summer days. This is my preference as the rasps are not so vigorous here anymore because of tree shade. The bamboo doesn't have to start so low down! I'm assuming the older hard stems will be ignored as they don't chew any canes I shove in the ground to support plants.
2. The little bit she's blocked off from - but it will get rather less sun and it will look a bit weird!
Any opinions or experience from the gardeners out there?