Picture Of The Week (POW) Information & Submissions

[secuono]

@Branching Out very nice pic . Bamboo in bloom only happens once in 20 years or more .
All the bamboo from that same mother bamboo plant will all bloom at the same time no matter where they are located.
From what I understand bamboo must have many flowers at the same time to spread pollen. Flowering is most likely so that the new seedlings will receive water , nutrients room and sunshine to start new stands of bamboo culms instead of the mother plant.

My black clump bamboo . Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra)
Flowered 3 years ago in several locations around the garden at the same time and are just starting to push new shoots or culms from the seeds pollinated from the mother plant.View attachment 68501

What do seeds look like, did you manage to save any?

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

What do seeds look like, did you manage to save any?

Here’s pic of flowers and seed dripping off the flower sections.

 

[Branching Out]

You know, I know bamboo is a grass, so I didn't expect flowers, just something like all of the grass heads I've seen in my own pastures (basically the picture). Yet, somehow, I'm still disappointed.
Are they at least also huge or still tiny? Anything for scale?

That photo was taken a while ago and I couldn't recall exactly how large the toothbrush-like bloom was, so I took a stroll past that patch of bamboo yesterday and it was in pretty rough shape after three months with lots of heavy rain. My best guess is that the flowering bracts were 3-4" long at their peak. In a funny coincidence, this bamboo is the garden of a nearby home that my dad built about 60 years ago, when he was in construction. I suspect that this patch would be about 60 years old, because back then it was a very popular garden plant. Once people figured out how invasive it can be around here the shine kind of went off bamboo.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

@secuono adore all your hummingbird photos.
How did you manage to get such clear precise pics excluding backgrounds ?
Those pics are really magazine quality pics and have all the qualities for a great portfolio.

 

[TEG Project Manager]

View attachment 68526

Well done, @secuono! Your photo just claimed the top spot and is shining on the homepage!

 

[secuono]

@secuono adore all your hummingbird photos.
How did you manage to get such clear precise pics excluding backgrounds ?
Those pics are really magazine quality pics and have all the qualities for a great portfolio.

More in this thread-

Pictures

Probably shouldn't drown the POW thread, so, I'll post here instead.

www.theeasygarden.com

Camera body, my old Nikon D5100.

For the bugs/flowers-
18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G lense. Lense caps; 1×, 2×, 4× & 10× added on.

The hummer pics-
Sigma 150-600mm lense.
But one pic was with the Nikon 55-300mm lense.

Some are video screenshots, others individual photos. Blur is a side effect of long focal length and/or very short focal length. Definitely makes for a calm, not distracting background.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

@secuono Thank you for information on the camera/lense you use. Appreciate your talent and all your beautiful pics and I do remember now looking thru the above link before, which is definitely worth another look or two.
I use my iPad which have significantly been improved over the last few years. Especially the edits.
Sometimes takes a substantial amount of work to get a clear concise picures. Never quite the results I wanted .
Will keep the info on camera and link handy for referal.

 

[TEG Project Manager]

Here’s an odd ball pic showing hummingbirds sharing the feeder . Rufus and Anna’s hummingbirds.

View attachment 68622

Shoutout to @Shades-of-Oregon! Your pic is this week’s big winner—check it out shining on the homepage!

 

[Carol Dee]

 

[Dahlia]

View attachment 71174

I adore Christmas cactus!