Bamboo is the Garden Thug that Gardeners Love

Bamboo is everywhere. There are bamboo clothes, furniture, musical instruments, and even the window shades in my home are made from it. It's used in the construction industry; it's used for flooring and other home products. And over the last few years, it has taken over the housing market as a 'green' product for its sustainable qualities. Pretty soon it could be taking over your garden too. Bamboo can spread over a garden bed, becoming the bully of your landscape. Despite its rapid growth, I personally wanted it in my garden, so I could have my own supply of this precious plant to help me save money.

Bamboo is a giant grass that fits into my plan of having a basically xeriscaped garden. Once established, the plant does not require much effort on my part to thrive, nor does it drink much extra water in my climate. I love spending time in my garden, but I don't always want to be working. I love flowers (annuals give off such a beautiful show), but I look for plants that are architecturally interesting to give other points of interest to the viewer. Since there are so many wonderfully different varieties of bamboo, I can have varying thicknesses and colors (my next acquisition will be a black bamboo). However, the plant can begin to spread, overrunning parts of the garden. While I'm known to enjoy a bit of disorder, this can begin to look bad.

Growth control
Controlling the growth of bamboo can be the key to appreciating it in your garden. If you don't mind the work, you can dig up the sections that you don't want, like you would do with spreading plants such as ginger or galanga. I would rather do less work. I have too many other things to take care of. My method was to create a barrier to prevent the roots from shooting out in all directions. I have a plastic barrier that goes down about a foot into the ground, and it is about three inches above ground. I planted a mondo grass around this plastic lip to hide it. If you use this method, have the barrier above ground in case you use mulch. The roots could grow through the mulch. My barrier is a homemade solution; there are products which will do the trick, like a bio-barrier.

Bamboos multifaceted functions
How does bamboo help save me money? For me, I make tomato cages with the plant. In fact, my beans and peas climb up bamboo poles; vines climb up bamboo trellises; and I make a few garden structures from it as well. You can use twine or wire to fasten the bamboo pieces together. I generally use those plastic ties for wiring, since I have so many around my shed. I find the plastic ties and twisting wire to be the easiest way to form shapes by fastening pieces. I let my imagination fly, forcing the bamboo to bend into shapes for my trellis or garden art.

I've even made a twenty-foot giraffe from bamboo and crepe myrtle branches for my wife. All of these structures are temporary, but that is alright. I will have more bamboo next year for another inspiration. My wife likes to take the bamboo and vines for flower arrangements. My children create forts and fences with the stalks. And when I'm really bored, I make toothpicks from the bamboo. That may be going too far though. We have used the stalks for art projects in the house too. Bamboo leaves go into my compost pile.

You should give bamboo a try; it is a great plant. About the xeriscape idea, you do have to water and take care of these plants for the first year until established. This applies to all landscapes created with the intent of not using additional water. Many bushes and trees that you find at your local garden center will have lower watering requirements once they have settled into their new home. Remember that you will still have to prune, particularly if they begin to grow near your home. You will want at least a foot of space between the plant and your house.

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, is a Houston-based Professional Real Estate Inspector

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