Types of bamboo you can buy for your garden

Growing bamboo in your garden can give it a truly exotic and foreign look – you’ll feel like you’re in a serene far away land. In our last articles, we showed you how to grow and control bamboo. But knowing what types of bamboo to look for is also important for achieving a personalized garden design that matches your style.

Borinda bamboo: this type of bamboo grows about 15 feet high in the shade. It can survive cold temperatures and can be planted alongside evergreen trees, which makes them a great variety for Vancouverites. This is a clumping type of bamboo. Pandas eat this type of bamboo, but don’t worry, you’ll be safe from the furry bears here in North America!

When picking out Borinda bamboo, look for:

• Borinda Boliana for a really high and darker, redder look.
• Borinda angustissima for narrow leaves
• Borinda contracta for a blue-gray look
• Borinda macclureana for larger leaves and a purple look
• Borinda utilis for a curvy look in higher altitudes with lots of sun

Chusquea bamboo: here is a type of bamboo that is branchy and grows mainly in America. One type of Chusquea to look for:

• Chusquea gigantean for a slow-growing clumping bamboo that looks like a running bamboo

Chimonobambusa bamboo: These are smaller-sized bamboo plants that grow to be about 6 feet high. They need good humidity and actually start their growth cycles in the colder weather, around fall or winter in North America. This is a running type of bamboo.

Types of Chimonobambusa to look for:

• Chimonobambusa marmoreal for a really dark look with thick leaves.
• Chimonobambusa marmoreal for a colourful look with a mix of red and yellow, depending on lighting conditions.

Fargesia bamboo: This is a perfect type of bamboo for growing in Canada because it can stand much colder temperatures (just below -20C, if not more). These are a valuable type of bamboo because of their slow growth (which takes patience to cultivate, or shall we say, cultivates patience?) and also because they are quite full and strong despite their being a clumping type of bamboo. They also make nice shapes, giving character to a garden.

Here are types of the exciting Fargesia to look for:

• Fargesia denudata for a rare plant that looks delicate and slim and branches out into arches.
• Fargesia dracocephala for a thick “weeping” look that can grow a wall or stakes.
• Fargesia murielae for an “umbrella” look with hints of yellow.
• Fargesia nitida for a “fountain” look with a darker purple/blue colour.
• Fargesia robusta for a tall standing straight look that is sort of yellow.
• Fargesia rufa for an easy growing, orange-like plant.
• Fargesia scabrida for a straight standing plant that changes colours like the rainbow – from orange to blue, purple and green!

While some bamboo needs warmer climates to grow healthily, the types of bamboo mentioned here can actually survive in Canada, and you can help them along by moving them inside during the winter.  Of course, there are a lot more to name, but we can’t exhaust the vastness of bamboo types all in one article!

Enjoy your exotic bamboo garden!

How to make a bamboo wind chime

How to make a bamboo wind chime

Wind chimes are always a nice addition to any balcony, patio, window or outdoor seating area.  They add a touch of country class, and everyone loves the sweet, soothing sounds they make.  They can also let you know when a big storm might be approaching.

Many wind chimes are made from ceramic or metal tubing, but if you’re after a more natural look and a mellower tone, bamboo is one of the best materials to use.  And you can feel good that you’re using a sustainable resource to make your wind chimes.

To create a beautiful chime it only takes a few materials and some simple steps.  First find some bamboo.  You can purchase your bamboo at any plant store or possibly even a craft store.  You can also buy bamboo poles at any garden supply store.  If your bamboo is fresh you will have to let it dry out and harden.  This can take several weeks.

Once you have your bamboo, cut it into lengths with one end above the partition-like segment end, and the other below it, so you have an open tube to work with.  You will then need to split the hallow end of each piece.  This is best done using a sharp knife.  You’ll want to taper the cut at an angle to give you the best sounding chambers.

Next drill 1/8 inch holes just above the section on the solid end of each piece of bamboo.  You’ll want to make sure the holes are parallel to the sound chambers so when they’re hanging the sound chambers will be facing outward.

You will then need to get a round disc of wood or material of your choice about 7 times the diameter of your bamboo.  Drill holes around the circumference of the disk about ¾ of an inch from the edge.  Afterwards, thread some strong string or fishing wire through the holes on both the disk and the bamboo.

If you would like to have a second level to your wind chime create a smaller disk and again drill holes on its circumference to hang more bamboo poles.  You will need to drill a hole through the center of each disk so one can hang below the other.

Finally you can use a bamboo stick without any sound chamber in it to hang in the centre of the smaller disc. This will be the piece that will hit the chimes and cause them to make sound.  Make sure that it is hanging high enough so that when the wind blows it will strike the other chimes.

Finally find a good spot to hang your chime where it will be hit by the wind, but won’t get blown away.  You can secure it with an ‘S’ hook or even tie it off, but make sure you use a good knot.

Now you can have guest over for a sunny summer BBQ and both you and they will enjoy not only your green bamboo chimes, but your fun story on how to build one.

Bamboo in culture and legend

Bamboo in culture and legend

Bamboo has important cultural significance in many Asian societies. It has played an instrumental role in the development of so much—in building, in cooking, in medicine, in clothing, the list goes on. Accordingly, it has become symbolic for many cultures. In India, for example, bamboo is a symbol of friendship. And in China, bamboo is considered to be a symbol of longevity, as a result of its long lifespan.

There are even creation myths involving bamboo. Several Asian cultures believe that humanity emerged from a bamboo stem. The Japanese have a folktale called the “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” which tells the story of a princess who, after living on the moon, emerges from a glowing piece of bamboo. Another bamboo-inspired tale is the Philippine creation story; in it, the first man and woman both emerge from split bamboo stems. Malaysia has a similar tale: In theirs, there is a man who, while sleeping under a bamboo plant, dreams of a beautiful woman; when he wakes up, he breaks the bamboo stem and discovers her inside.

Outside of legend, bamboo is intertwined with worship and ritual in other ways. For instance, Shinto shrines in Japan are often surrounded by bamboo forests as part of a sacred barrier against evil. Similarly, Buddhist temples often have bamboo groves.

In Vietnam, bamboo has very important cultural significance. It acts as a symbol for the Vietnamese spirit. It represents hard work, straightforwardness, optimism, unity, courteousness, and adaptableness. There is even a bamboo-inspired proverb in Vietnam: “When the bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear,” it says. Its message is one of immortality: The Vietnamese nation will never die. Though its people might, there will always be a younger generation to take their place, to keep Vietnam alive. In this spirit, many traditional Vietnamese villages have bamboo hedges surrounding them.

The Vietnamese also have a famous love story that involves bamboo. The tale is known as “The Hundred-knot Bamboo Tree.” It is about a poor, young farmer who falls in love with his landlord’s beautiful daughter. The landowner promises the young man marriage to his daughter if he works hard for another three years, but then goes back on his word, promising his daughter to another man. The young farmer protests, and the landowner responds by cutting him another deal: If he can bring him a bamboo stalk with one hundred knots, he can have her hand in marriage. The farmer runs into a bit of luck. During his search, Buddha appears and gives him the magic to combine multiple bamboo stalks. This allows him to accomplish his task, and ultimately marry the landlord’s daughter.

So, as you can see, bamboo is, in many cultures, held in quite high esteem. And whether or not you believe the legends, there is one thing that remains as true in the myths as it does in reality: Bamboo is a wonderful and useful plant—whether it’s being used to build houses or as a means to marry the love of one’s life.

Bamboo: a friend of soil and water

While bamboo does a lot for this planet on a large-scale level—such as helping fight global warming—it also contributes in more localized ways as well. Bamboo is a friend of both soil and water, and it can do a lot of good for its immediate environment. Let’s take a look at how bamboo contributes in this manner.

One example: Bamboo helps prevent soil erosion that occurs in flood plains, whether along riverbanks or on steep hillsides. Bamboo also can control landslides and keep flooded rivers along their natural course. It does this by slowing the speed of the river’s water flow. And, quite luckily, bamboo thrives in many watershed areas. The abundance of water makes the land around it a perfect place for bamboo to grow. And while this is good for bamboo, the benefit is mutual. Bamboo contributes to both soil and water retention, thereby helping the land that it calls home. A bamboo forest means healthy land.

In part, the reason that bamboo is so good for the land—the reason that it helps with water retention—is because of the potassium that it contains. Bamboo shoots are a great source of potassium, which is required for plant growth. Potassium promotes strong growth, a healthier root system, and, you guessed it, water retention.

For all of these reasons and more, bamboo is considered a great fertilizer, and is often used as such. Using bamboo as a fertilizer helps the soil retain more water. The result is a soil that is more chemically-balanced and oxygenated, which, in laymen’s terms, means healthier plants. But there’s more. The soil is improved in other ways too. Bamboo has a high level of gas production and circulation. This results in bamboo absorbing two thirds more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And since plants and trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, this also means that bamboo produces 35 per cent more oxygen than most other trees, such as hardwoods. In addition, bamboo’s root system helps with preventing soil erosion, and it also improves the soil by removing any excess nitrogen.

For those of you now interested in trying out bamboo as a fertilizer, here’s how. It is really quite simple and there are two ways to go about it. Your first option: simply grow some bamboo in the actual area that needs the fertilizer applications. And your second option: just cut up a few bamboo shoots and spread the pieces throughout the area you want fertilized. Both options work well.  Happy gardening!

Shoo-Foo exhibits among fellow eco-friendly businesses at EPIC Sustainable Living Expo

This year’s EPIC Sustainable Living Expo in Vancouver drew over 300 exhibitors from eco-friendly toy companies, to recycled clothing and of course, bamboo towels and linens!  Shoo-Foo was there – as usual – showing off our luxuriously soft and organic products, perfect for any home.

The ticket-buyers were just as diverse as the exhibitors.  Along came viewers who were shopping, viewers who were looking and viewers who were ‘down to business.’  Almost every Shoo-Foo product was on display, from beddings to towels and robes, and let’s not forget our unforgettably cute baby layette!  Ah yes, and of course our brand new spa head wrap and head band (thank you bald mannequins for modeling those for us!)

Everyone who came by the booth also had a chance to win bamboo products every month by following us Twitter, liking us on Facebook, subscribing to our e-newsletter and/or starting a gift registry!  The offer is, of course, still extended to anyone who wishes to follow along and be a little social with us!

Was it fun? Oh yeah! While all tradeshows make for great samplers of products galore, the businesses showcased at EPIC were especially magnetic!  How calming, and yet exciting, to know that the eco-friendly choice is becoming so easily accessible to the modern consumer who wishes to ‘go green’ as they say. Not only that, we were so proud to see that many of our fellow exhibitors were also Canadian, like us! Go Canada!

EPIC is put on by Vancouver-based GLOBE Foundation, which is a non-profit organization supporting sustainability practices among businesses.  They put on events that draw thousands each year to focus on producing planet-friendly initiatives among businesses and government bodies.

For more information on EPIC, visit epicexpo.com.  For more on the GLOBE Foundation, visit globe.ca.

Check out our YouTube slideshow video of the event below!

We’re moving into the spa business!

…Well, at least the towel and linens part of that industry. Orders are now being taken for our already popular headbands and head wraps. Users who’ve previewed these products say they LOVE them, especially the head wrap! No more falling towel, no more soaking mop on your head and no more sweat from wearing a plastic shower cap when your ‘do just can’t get wet!

For spas out there who want to go green, Shoo-Foo’s bamboo towels and linens are the products of eco-friendly choice! Tell your friends and spread the word – we’re reducing the textile waste and pollution that comes with the high turnover rates of regular ol’ spa towels. Not only that, spas will be able to easily recuperate their cost of towel inventory by retailing these oh-so-sellable bamboo wonders to their clients!

Incorporating sustainable bamboo towels into your spa’s regimen can be a step-by-step process. Start by picking one service product, like the mani-pedi towel, and then start incorporating more as time goes by, like the makeup and facial towels. Bit by bit, we can all go green with our linens!

Not a spa? Not a problem! Shops of all sizes, shapes and colours are welcome to put in their orders for our new spa collection – items that can be used in every day households for both women AND men! Talk about a great wedding shower gift!

Click here to start your Gift Registry today! Don’t wait, get started early!

Retailers: Click here to log in and start ordering your wholesale bamboo spa items instantly!

P’Lovers Environmental Store – Reaching and Preaching to the “Non-choir”

With four locations across Canada and now one in San Antonio, Texas, P’lovers Environmental Store is truly a haven for advocates of sustainable living. With the variety found in this one-stop-shop for all things eco-friendly, it’s easy to see why P’lovers is best described as the “environmental department store.”

Founders Liz Crocker and Ann Caverzan both have decades’ worth involvement with business and interest in environmental concerns and their relationship to commercial production. The two first met in 1991, and discussed the concept of a store specializing in environmentally friendly products at a time when such things were fairly unheard of. A year later they opened a shop by the name of P’lovers, which is an abbreviation for both “planet lovers” and “piping plover” (an endangered species of bird indigenous to Nova Scotia). Like the world around them, they still knew little of ecologically conscious wares. They have learned an immeasurable amount since and continue to do so still.

The breadth and quality of offered products is constantly being improved as more variety and a higher calibre goods become available in tandem with the ever increasing prevalence of environmental awareness. At the same time, if a product becomes overly mainstream or out of date, Liz and Ann search out goods that fall closer in line with the most current sustainable standards.

Of course, such a search can be tough, as increased interest in green goods come at a cost. Popularity entices, and many manufacturers appropriate the term “green” as a marketing tool and exploit ecologically-minded sentiments by offering products that are not truly or fully environmentally friendly. Not only do these not meet P’lovers standards, but they can also provoke a certain cynicism of the market in the consumer who is clued in enough to realise what is going on.

P’lovers have a mandate to practice what they preach, and all aspects of their business in green. This includes the very architecture and décor of their stores. Cork and bamboo flooring, recycled paint, compact fluorescent and LED lights, and antique furniture are all mainstays in each location. Yet despite demand for quality and adherence to strict criteria, the company is committed providing products that are not exuberantly priced. Two of their five locations are in Nova Scotia, which is economically modest. In the 90s when the business first started, there was a lot of sickening pollution in the air carried by wind from Ontario to the Maritimes which created a demand for goods free of such chemicals. Sensitive to that, the company has strived to maintain an affordable range.

One of the most unique aspects of P’lovers, I noticed, was the care taken to avoid any snobbery or judgemental attitudes in the sale of their wares. “We’re not just preaching to the choir, but we want to be appealing to the “non-choir” too.” says Liz. The business attempts to educate its potential customer base without pushing products and attitudes upon them. They avoid marketing items that primarily appeal as novelty gifts, instead opting for a department store model where goods are not only desirable but useful and practical and can also make great gifts. It is clear that P’lovers has accomplished its goal in providing a wide range of alternative products to the general public and not just to special interest groups www.plovers.net

Keeping a Cool Baby When the Heat is On!

It’s hard to resist buying those cute sunglasses or tiny bathing suits for your little ones during the summer. And we all know proper sunscreen and hydration are key, but how can bamboo contribute to keeping cool during those hot summer months?

The harmful effects of sun exposure are becoming more and more evident to the point where we simply cannot avoid taking precautions. Luckily, bamboo clothing is naturally already infused with UV protection. Studies have shown that bamboo can block up to 98 per cent of harmful UV radiation. UV radiation can be very damaging to anyone, and damage done at a young age can even cause problems that won’t appear until later on in life.

Bamboo clothing is naturally hypoallergenic, which means you can expect fewer allergic reactions, which, with all the active pollen and cut grass in the air, is definitely a blessing! Infants are very sensitive and susceptible to allergies, and you undoubtedly want what’s best for your new child. Bamboo fibre is very smooth and it sits perfectly next to the skin. This helps your baby rest more comfortably and avoid problems with itching.

And last, but certainly not least, bamboo plants that the fibres are made from are naturally anti-bacterial, and your infant’s bamboo clothing will be as well. Bamboo prevents the development of almost all bacteria – a handy weapon when dealing with sticky ice cream hands and outdoor picnics. It’s a force to be reckoned with. As a result, bamboo clothing stays fresher. It stays odour-free for a longer period of time. And in addition to smelling better, the anti-bacterial force of bamboo also results in your baby having better hygiene—and we all know that’s an uphill battle!

Chicken Thai Green Curry featuring Bamboo Shoots

This is one of my favourite dishes that feature bamboo shoots (and probably one of my favourite dishes in general!). The original recipe comes from www.templeofthai.com, a great source for Thai recipes. On that site, it is made with eggplants, beef and authentic Thai ingredients that might be a little hard to find. My version however calls for chicken, carrots, bean sprouts and a few other alterations. I urge you to turn this recipe into your own original green curry dish. Soon you’ll be able to call it your own secret recipe that friends will be dying to figure out!

You’ll Need:
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tbsp green curry paste (make sure you choose the right degree of spiciness)
• 2 1/2 cups coconut milk (I prefer using 1 cup of light coconut milk and 1.5 cups of regular)
• 3/4 cup of carrots, julienned
• 3/4 cup of bean sprouts
• 3/4 cup of canned bamboo shoots
• 2-3 fresh red chilies, sliced diagonally
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (not olive oil, but corn, safflower or peanut oil)

Preparation:
1. Slice the chicken into cubes, about an inch and a half across
2. Sauté the green curry paste in oil over medium heat until fragrant, reduce the heat, gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut milk a little at a time, stir until a film of green oil surfaces.
3. In another pan, sauté the chicken and limejuice until the chicken is half way cooked through.
4. Transfer to a pot, place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Add the remaining coconut milk, season with palm sugar and fish sauce. When the mixture returns to the boil add the bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and julienned carrots. Cook until the vegetables are done, sprinkle basil leaves and red chillies over, then turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Arrange on a serving dish accompanied with jasmine rice and garnish with sweet basil leaves and red chillies before serving.

Green Glamour photo Gallery

Here are photos of our fun Green Glamour event!  Here’s what one participant said about it!

“This event was a fantastic success!  Everyone was great who was there, both people helping to host and guests attending.  I loved the location, and the variety from the tables that were shown to the food and desserts provided.  I would love to help out with this event again.”

-Danai Wood, Arbonne Consultant

Click on “view with PicLens” to view as a slideshow!

Next Page »