Pig Sty Avenue

Only one of the original 7 bulrushes has thrived, although I don't think it's going to flower this year. In fact, although these plants are perennial, they actually seem to behave more like biennials, flowering in their 2nd year. And when they do flower, according to Motivans & Apfelbaum , the seeds have a very high germination rate. But they also reproduce vegetatively, from rhizomes. As you can see in the photo, the original plant to the right has grown a new ramet, (for which terminology see Grace & Wetzel, 1982). These are growing in the middle part of the pond, at the deepest point. That's been under water apart from a short spell of drought in May, when it was just mud. The other plant is surviving, but not thriving near the pond margin, where it is only under water when the pond is full, which has been a rare occurrence since last winter.  Grace, James B., and Robert G. Wetzel. "Niche differentiation between two rhizomatous plant species: Typha...

Above, the bulrush that's growing near the bottom of the middle pond. On the left, 2 weeks ago , on the right as it was this morning. I was as bit further away with the camera at the beginning of the month, but nonetheless you can see that it's grown quite a bit. Below, the one on the pond margin, also doing well. I can't explain why I'm watching the progress of this particular plant so keenly. It apparently has many uses, according to the sort of blokes who like to go back to nature . I'm not growing it as a crop, though I will try the roots, just to see what they're like, if and when I've got lots growing. Maybe I can explain it. If these two plants grow, and seed the whole pond, and grow to their full height, they'll be a standout allotment feature. Just now, after a rather dry month, the pond is just a muddy hole in the ground, and that's probably how it's going to be for several months of every year. But it's doing its job, the Mi...

So that was a good day, today. Got to allotment sharpish, after going to the SE Glasgow Post Office Sorting Depot, (bloody miles away, as it happens, in Fullarton Drive, other side of the M74) to collect my bare rooted Typha latifolia.  Planting the bulrushes was 1st order of business. They were well packaged, safe but not suffocated, and damp. I’d paid for 5 from someone on eBay, but in the event there were 7. The size and shape and bristly roots reminded me of very large prawns. I planted 4 of them on the pond margins, and the smallest 3 I planted in a pot, which I set out in a deeper margin. I still don’t know how the pond’s going to behave over the growing season, it all depends on the weather. So far, it seems, just a few hours steady rain will fill it. 3 or 4 dry days will drop the level down to the hard boulder clay at the bottom, less than 1ft of water. I suppose that too could go, lost to evaporation, if we have more than a week without rain, which might be a dis...

That's common bulrush, though it has other names .  Magnificent plant, growing taller than a person. I remember being fascinated by them growing along the Basingstoke Canal when I was a bairn in the 60s. Shelter for frogs, and cover for emerging froglets. And cut them off for the flower vase. Eat the roots. This looks like the best deal for seeds .  Prices for plug plants elsewhere are just silly. The link doesn't say how many seeds you get, but I think they're tiny, so maybe its countless thousands.  Will update on this next year.