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!

Battling Bad Behaving Bamboo!

Is your bamboo not behaving itself? Is what started out as a dainty garnish in one particular corner of your yard and now out of control? Perhaps you’re the new homeowner of a garden already littered with unkempt patches of these hearty shoots. Maybe you’re just not a fan of bamboo and want it gone. If you fit into any of these scenarios, sorry friend, but you’ve got your work cut out for you! Like unwanted body hair, trimming or yanking are nothing more than temporary solutions with ugly results. Good news though, in this case, you won’t need to invest in expensive laser treatment.

What makes bamboo such a great renewable resource also makes it incredibly difficult to get rid of. Bamboo contains rhizomes. Rhizomes are a type of stem that spread out horizontally through the soil and sprout new shoots (culms). What could look like several individual plants might very possibly be just one, where each culm is interconnected underground. This makes it difficult to trim away undesired culms, as you won’t be able to predict from where new ones will sprout. Furthermore, it’s nearly impossible to uproot all of the rhizomes. Some will inevitably remain in the soil, and bamboo will continue to grow.

If your aim is to contain the bamboo, building a barrier is essential. You can adapt the same technique we suggested last week in the blog post “Get started with your Bamboo Garden”. Be sure to dig a trench far enough away from the existing bamboo so that no stray rhizomes remain outside the barrier. This can be difficult to guarantee, especially if you’ve uprooted some of the existing growth. Building a stream or pond is far more effective, as bamboo will not grow through bodies of water. Concrete will work in place of water, but just doesn’t look very nice and will eventually succumb to the elements.

Although management and adaptation is environmentally ideal, if you simply must kill your bamboo your best bet is using a natural herbicide like vinegar. This is a tricky and time-sensitive process. Using a pair of shears, cut the culm about 6 inches from the ground. With a paintbrush, brush the vinegar onto the end of the culm. The goal here is to have the sap in the exposed end absorb the herbicide and carry it down the culm into the rhizomes, thus killing the whole plant. If it takes you longer than 15 seconds to apply the herbicide, the sap has already receded down the culm and it will be too late for the herbicide to have any effect. Here’s hoping you weren’t reading this step-by-step as you gave it a shot!

The herbicidal method is only viable if you’re ridding yourself of a manageable number of culms. For removing bamboo en masse, you may wish to hire professionals. The technique involves a backhoe and large quantities of gravel. On the smaller scale though, all you need is yourself, some diligence, and a little bit of elbow grease to succeed.

Clumpers and Runners: Getting Started On Your Bamboo Garden

Elegant and easy, growing bamboo is a cinch to get started. And forget those nay-sayers warnings that this striking shoots will overtake your personal Eden. Never you worry, growing bamboo and keeping it in line can achieved with minimal effort.

The first step is to figure out the type of bamboo you’d like to grow. There are many varieties, but they generally fall into two groups: clumpers and runners. The root structure of bamboo is complimented by rhizomes (a type of stem that stores nutrients and spreads horizontally through the soil), and these rhizomes will produce offshoot bamboo stalks (culms). The rhizomes in clumping bamboo never stray far from the initial shoots, but they will spread out across a much larger area in running bamboo. Clumpers are recommended in almost all instances except for when planting an expansive hedge or grove, as all additional culms will naturally grow within a fairly constrained area. Runners can easily get out of hand in the garden, and their invasiveness is difficult to remedy.

Spring or early summer are the best times to plant bamboo. But before you start digging up a hole for planting, you’ll need some sort of material at hand for containing the spread of rhizomes. Metal strips or concrete will work, but will degrade through weathering. High density polyethylene (HDPE) that is at least 40mil (~1mm) thick and 24-36 inches (~61-92cm) wide is recommended. Your trench should be no smaller than a square yard (~92cm squared), and about 2 inches (~5cm) shallower than the width of your containment material. Compact the soil in the bottom as well as you can, then install your barrier along the sides of the trench. It should stick 2 inches (~5cm) above the surrounding soil in order to stop any rhizomes from growing unnoticed over it. Carefully place the bamboo plant into the centre of the hole, and gently fill the trench with soil. You’ll want to carefully compact the first half of the fill, while leaving the second half loose. Lightly watering the soil as you fill up the trench can also be beneficial to the plant, but don’t overdo it.

Now that it’s in the ground, your bamboo will require a little bit of pampering over the next several years. It’s important to keep it well watered (if the leaves curl, the bamboo’s thirsty), especially during the first year. Bamboo grows very quickly, so staking the taller initial culms can help to prevent uprooting. Leaving mulch over the surrounding soil is great, as it controls soil moisture and temperature. High nitrogen fertilizer is the food of choice, but is not to be used at the time of planting. Instead, fertilize in March, June, and September. Try to keep the immediate area weed free, as bamboo doesn’t appreciate the competition. Annual pruning of dead culms will be necessary, and you’ll need to make periodic checks for rhizomes hopping the barrier. Cut them back to avoid undesired spreading. Pruning doesn’t damage the plant, and can even promote its growth.

Although it’ll take about 3 years to fully establish itself, if you follow these instructions your new bamboo will be growing so quickly you can expect beautiful results within a month or two!

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.

The Bamboo Basics: Introducing an Extraordinary Plant Resource

So get this: bamboo isn’t a tree, it’s actually a type of grass. Not only is it the tallest grass on earth, it’s also the tallest plant. Its list of achievements doesn’t end there. It grows faster than any other plant, about 3-4 feet or more per day. For this reason, it’s an amazing renewable resource. It can be efficiently reharvested every 3-7 years with minimal impact on the environment. The root system can be left intact when harvesting, and so the cycle of regeneration and cutting back in fact can improve the health of the individual plants.

Luckily enough, this abundantly renewable resource has an endless number of uses and already finds it way into our daily lives in many ways: in our food, gardens, clothing, linens, architecture, furniture, etc. Various methods have even been devised to produce fuel from bamboo. Still, despite its exhaustive prevalence, the most definitive image of bamboo for many of us is that of its culm (stalk). Sleek and staggeringly upright, we often picture it as one of many in a forest of cool and calming green vertical lines. What we often forget is that bamboo produce flowers, and their blooming is extraordinary.

The flowering of bamboo tends to be a remarkable event, although the flowers themselves aren’t too spectacular. They bear no petals, and are unable to attract insects to aid in pollination. What’s unusual about the flowering of bamboo is its frequency. While some rare types do flower annually, most flower only once over a period of decades—sometimes as long as 130 years. By some sort of scientifically unknown mechanism (probably genetic), all bamboo plants in a region will bloom simultaneously. This normally marks the end of the life cycle for whole populations of the plant, and in some cases can be immediately devastating for both humans and animals that rely on the local bamboo for their livelihood and sustenance. However, the bamboo flower deposits a huge number of seeds onto the ground that effectively renew the entire population of dying plants relatively quickly. Icing on the cake for an already resilient and virile species. Without a doubt they’ll continue to outgrow and outlast the infinite uses we can find for them.

Bamboo on Wheels

After a long winter spent in hibernation it’s often hard to motivate yourself to get back on board the exercise train. But as the weather warms and the dark ominous cloud that is bathing suit season moves farther away, the motivation to get back in shape gets a whole lot stronger. Now if you’re like me and you hate the gym, warmer weather is key to your workout regime. Fresh air is my power-aid, and cycling is my total gym. The way I see it, why ride a bike that goes nowhere when you can ride a bike that can go anywhere? Even to the fish and chips place at the end of the pier (not the best place to cycle to when trying to get back in a teenie weenie bikini but rewarding none the less).For years I have rode my trusty 12 speed to and from a number of A’s and B’s. However sadly my faithful steed is on its last leg which means its time to shop around for a new one. It was in one of these shopping expedition that I discovered the Bamboo bicycle, and no that is not a typo, I meant to say bamboo.

The bamboo bicycle (say that 10 times fast) is exactly what it sounds like it is, a bike made of bamboo. However having said that, this two-wheeled wonder isn’t just a craft project, but rather a legitimate bicycle that could rival many other bikes on the market. This is sustainability on wheels and an even more eco-friendly way to shed a couple pounds. Made from the renewable resource of bamboo, these bicycles trump regular bikes when it comes to their eco-friendliness. With these babies you can self-propel yourself onto not only a healthier life but a “greener” one too (not to mention looking good while doing it).

Now bamboo bicycles are by no means a new invention. These bad boys have actually been around for over 100 years. However the bamboo bikes of today are different from those of the past. Back in the day bamboo bikes were seen only in developing nations where they were used as a simple, yet effective means of transportation. When the first bamboo bikes made their way to the western world they were expensive. Since they were “new” and sold as designer bikes sadly no regular Joe or Jane could afford (a category I myself fit snugly into). This thankfully, is not the case anymore. Today bamboo bikes look better, perform better, cost less and in some cases can be made to order, making them one heck of a hot commodity.

Thanks to bamboo bicycles I think it is safe to say that my quest for a new cycle has come to an end… Hallelujah! For me nothing beats a good morning ride (well almost nothing, the fish and chip reward is pretty swell too). With these new eco-friendly (more cost effective) bikes I can now get my daily km’s and look smart while doing it. And come on, who doesn’t like to look smart?

Skin Deep: my experience of getting a bamboo tattoo

When I boarded a plane destined for Vietnam I could only imagine what I would be met with on the other side. My insides felt like a ball of wool tangled up with treads of excitement, fear and anxiousness. If you had told me then that in 3 months time I would find myself face-down in a hut getting tattooed with a bamboo stick by two Thai men as they sang along to Bob Marley, I probably would have laughed. But since life is an endless comedy of surprises sure enough I found myself in that very predicament.

I began my journey with an empty backpack and a mission. My mission was, like many travellers, to experience life in another part of the world. I had made the decision prior to leaving Vancouver that I would immerse myself in the many rich cultures woven into the fabric of South East Asia. For me Asia was a full body experience; my tongue tasted many delicious flavours, my nose filled with endless flagrant aromas, my eyes witnessed sites no camera could capture and my body, coincidentally, found itself on the other end of a very sharp rod of bamboo.

I have always been fascinated by the art of tattooing, I myself have 4. So I should have known, or at the very least expected that I would end up getting tattooed in Asia. Especially since I know better than anyone how impulsive I can be.

Being a fan of the art of tattoo I knew a fair bit about its history, and how basically it all started with a piece of bamboo. As it turns out it is very difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the bamboo tattoo because it is an extremely old practice with a history that is all but lost (sadly history is not as permanent as tattoo ink). Not surprisingly, like pasta, many countries claim to be the birthplace of this practice. However historians believe that the art form actually originated in the Khmer around 3000 years ago. This is because they have found mummies in the Philippines with, incredibly, still visible tattoos. I guess my mom is right, I will take my ink to the grave (if not further).

In Thailand tattoos and the art of tattooing is extremely popular and has a longstanding history. As I ventured across the country I saw many dragons, flowers, tribal designs, and those were just on the tourists. Bamboo tattooing in Thailand began in Buddhist temples where monks received religious text tattoos from their grand masters. These tattoos were believed to hold great power and thought to protect the wearer from evil spirits. Today the Sanskrit sutras, kata and mantras of the past still exist and are still tattooed in the traditional way, with bamboo. Unfortunately the art of bamboo tattooing is dying out thanks in part to the introduction of the much faster and easier to learn tattoo machine. But not is all lost. Thanks to increasing interest from the western world, travellers (like myself evidently) are finding themselves drawn to the ancient artform even going as far as getting one themselves.

This is how I found myself face-down in a hut, with the two Thai men (that looked more like boys if I’m being honest) hovering over me as they (one held my skin tight while the other tattooed) carefully tapped a Thai bodhi leaf design into my back with a thin piece of bamboo. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how little it hurt as the needle was steadily tapped into my skin over and over again. The process only took an hour, but my memory of the experience will certainly last a lifetime (fittingly just like the tattoo).

Tattoos are permanent (no surprise there). For some they are a form of expression, for others a documentation of a specific point of time or person in their lives. I went to South East Asia to experience another world and left with a little piece of tradition. Will I regret any of my tattoos someday? Maybe, but there is one tattoo I will never regret; the tattoo that connected me to a culture and its rich history.

Eco-sexy underwear: the empowerment is on again

All right I confess I love to feel sexy, but hey who doesn’t? Its a great feeling. The esteem you get when you feel desirable is empowering. For those of you who believe that sexy things are only kosher when you are looking to impress the opposite sex I’ve got news for you, you’re wrong. I wear sexy things all the time and the only one who sees them, or even knows that I’m wearing them is me. Thigh-highs and garters, frilly panties, less-than-practical bras that do nothing for my figure but are just so darn pretty, you name it I’ve sported it. I do it because it makes me feel powerful, like I am in control and nobody can touch me. However my quest to be secretly sexy unfortunately has come at a price, not to me but to the environment.

Recently there has been a lot of talk surrounding the environmental impact of the fabrics we wear. I myself am currently conducting research on the textile industry, and the very un-green ways the fibres we wear are made. Like many Vancouverites I’d like to think that I live green. I turn the lights out when I leave a room, I buy organic products, I bag my groceries in reusable bags (if I don’t forget them at home that is), heck I have even embraced the phrase “if it’s yellow let it mellow” (needless to say often to the horror of my house guests). But the green bubble that I once resided in recently burst because I (again like many) may live green but I don’t wear “green” (well unless its St. Patrick’s day).

The clothes I wear on the outside to express myself and the garments I wear underneath them as empowerment may have a positive impact on the way I feel but unfortunately they have a very negative impact on the planet. Thankfully however there is good news. Lately eco-friendly clothing lines have begun to pop-up everywhere giving the eco-conscious consumer choice. This is of course great news if all you’re looking for is a pair of jeans and T-shirt, but what about me and my power underwear? How am I supposed to kill business presentations now without my secret weapon?

Enter bamboo underwear. These sexy little numbers allow you to feel “hot” (although not literally as they are both heat-regulating and breathable) and green at the same time. Like with all bamboo products, bamboo lingerie is 100% eco-friendly and luxuriously soft against your skin. It is also odor-free, which I’m sure we all can agree is never a bad thing (especially when we’re talking panties). But the list of benefits doesn’t end there as the garments are also naturally hypo-allergenic and non-irritating, which benefits those of us with sensitive skin.

As a fashion forward individual who cares for the planet it is often hard for me to find a happy medium between the clothes I love and living green. However thankfully that struggle is beginning to subside as more and more options for the the eco-conscious shopper emerge. With eco-fashion lines sprouting up everywhere like spring bulbs I am now able to wear what I love without remorse; and not just on the outside either. The long since overdue introduction of bamboo undergarments is both exciting and relieving. Now when I want to add a little spice to my life I can slip into something eco-sexy and feel doubly empowered.

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.

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