Contained Bamboo within a Beautiful Planting Bed

But, let’s face it. This stuff can be invasive. I’ve been invited to consult in gardens where bamboo had no only left the bed it was meant to live in, but it had invaded the root systems of a massive Western Red Cedar, grown over and around every brick in a patio, insinuated itself into a cement house foundation, and busted through the asphalt of a nearby street. Improperly installed and cared for, this stuff can become a nightmare. But, with a little prep work and proper care, bamboo becomes a fantastic addition to the garden.

Here are some tips for installing bamboo. If you do plan to install it in your area I recommend you have a conversation with the nursery owner where you procure your plants. There may be some additional caveots to go along with installing your particular bamboo in your particular location. But, over the years I’ve found taking the following steps should help you keep your bamboo in check:

• To Clump or to Spread: Determine if your bamboo is a clumper or a spreader and then assume its a spreader no matter what. I’ve had clients insist they put in a clumper because it didn’t need to be barriered only to find out it travelled into their garden anyway. Always plan for the most invasive potential!
• Don’t Skimp on the barrier: Don’t assume that burying bamboo in a pot in the ground is going to keep it contained. Often bamboo is installed in wooden containers like wine barrels that eventually decompose. Or in plastic tubs submerged in the soil. Know that given the chance bamboo will bust through these flimsy plastics, travel downward several inches to escape through drain holes, and eat away at wooden materials or cracks to be free of any constraints you impose on it.
• Use Quality Bamboo Barrier Materials:
  

  White Paint for the Bamboo Area

  Instead of using a pot or flimsy plastics, most quality bamboo suppliers will provide you with rolls of thick plastic sheeting anywhere from 24″ to 36″ deep and as long as you need to line the hole for your bamboo. This material is sold by the linear foot. And you’ll need something to seal it tight.

  • Determine how much barrier you need: I like to paint out the area where I plan to install the bamboo and then measure the area. I usually buy several extra feet to ensure I have plenty of material to overlap or in case I decide to dig my hole just a bit bigger. (Keep in mind that you’ll need the hole to be wide and long enough to get the bamboo into the ground. Less than 2′ wide is generally going to be too tight.)
  • How to seal the barrier:
    

    Overlapped barrier & bolting system

    Some nurseries will recommend using thick two-sided tape to seal the barrier material. This makes me nervous as I know bamboo will bust through it eventually. Others will supply you with two thin pieces of metal and a matching bolt and screw system designed for this job. As shown in the photo here, the material is overlapped and then the bolting system is installed to tightly complete the barrier loop.

• How deep do I dig and use the barrier: Depending on the type of bamboo you plan to install, you will want to dig a trench to meet its needs. Again, talk to your bamboo supplier to find out how deep you’ll need to dig and which depth of barrier material to install for your bamboo. (Some bamboos can travel more deeply underground and therefore require a deeper barrier material.
  

  Tamping the Soil

  Some bamboos are stronger than others and may require a thicker barrier materials than others.) Once you have your barrier material in hand, you can use it to measure the depth of your bamboo hole or trench. Keep in mind that the top of the barrier material should remain exposed above the soil about 4″ to ensure that the bamboo rhizomes don’t hop over it and escape!

• Tips on digging your trench: Over the years I’ve found that digging the outer perimeter, which I line with barrier, and leaving the inner soil nearly intact is easier than digging everything out of a long trench. I tamp the middle of the trench hole to help compact it, which may deter the bamboo from travelling downward initially. If it travels outward where it hits the bamboo barrier, it will send up new shoots more rapidly.
• The barrier I left above ground is ugly: Yes, exposed bamboo barrier is unsightly. But, if you don’t leave it exposed, your bamboo will escape and your efforts will have been wasted. I always leave a nice planting border around a bamboo barrier so I can install evergreen plants to eventually hide the barrier. Since it does take time for plants to mature and completely hide an ugly barrier, I use garden artwork like the willow fence and bamboo fencing shown here. Stone also makes a nice barrier to hide the ugly plastic.

Bamboo installed & Barrier Hidden with Willow Edging

It is critical that you check your bamboo a few times a year, at least, to make sure it hasn’t hopped the border or busted through your barrier. As much as I like to trust my work, I know that being an active participant in my garden’s evolution is critical.

When I’m checking my bamboo, I also keep an eye out for pests. Bamboo mites tend to invade pretty quickly. Bamboo installed in a contained environment is put under stress. Its natural tendency is to travel and grove. The container breaks its natural habit. There are miticides that may be applied, and I’ve heard that compost tea applications can help beat back the mites by increasing the pro-biotic populations. That being said, I have a fairly high tolerance for pests in my bamboo. Why? Well, if the mites come in so do the predatory bees that hunt them and the birds that eat them. I may not get close to the grove when it is buzzing with bees doing their job, but if I leave them be, they leave me be and the bamboo is all the better for it.

Have more questions about bamboo? Please let us know!

Our house was settled in a clearing within a large forest of mixed deciduous trees and scrub conifers. We did not own a leaf blower. Heck, I don’t even know if leaf blowers existed back in the old days. And guaranteed I sported a nasty raking blister until the end of leaf raking season in winter. (Of course it was easy to bust open the healing leaf blister the minute I had to haul out the snow shovel, but that’s a memory for another day.) My one reward for all that raking was the joy of jumping into piles of leaves with my sisters and mom, laughing out loud as the dogs barked along with us and the chickens scratched up the newly exposed slugs our raking had exposed. It’s a joyful memory despite the thought of blistery hands and aching shoulders from all the hard work.

Over the past weekend I relived my childhood raking memories in my current garden. The sun was bright and actually quite warm. The soil had drained after many days of heavy rainfall earlier in the week. Most trees have lost their leaves, and the garden was ready for some clean up attention. With shears, saw, and hori-hori holstered to my person and a shovel, rake and broom nearby, I tackled a large section of clean up in my front garden. 

Weeds and unwanted perennials came out quickly. And the perennials went into a pile on the curb with a free sign. They were gone to new homes in no time. Dormant shrubs that needed a little breathing space were moved to new locations. And, three yardwaste containers rapidly overflowed with raked up leaves, spent perennial clippings, and other materials appropriate for the clean green recycling pick up.

Battle Scars of a Raking Gardener

The front door entryway is tidied up for the season. There’s more to do, but when isn’t there more to do? But, at a certain point my blistery raking wound of childhood reappeared at the base of my right thumb. It’s a tender raw reminder that I don’t own a blower and choose to clean the green old fashioned way with a rake, shovel and broom. My garden doesn’t deposit enough leaves (yet) to make a jumping pile. Instead I glory in the clean, fresh look of the garden and happily nurse my sore little thumb.

One note on blowers for those of you who love yours. I do think there’s a time and a place for them. My mother lives in a dense deciduous forest these days and she does all of her own garden maintenance. She owns a rake, and she uses it. But without her blower, I doubt she’d be able to keep up with the heavy downpour of leaves each fall.

(a-hem, begin rant) HOWEVER, When my rental neighbor’s mow-blow-go gardeners start up their blowers and literally blow dust and weed clippings into my face as I’m hand weeding on my adjoining property, I find the application awful. Companies complain about the high price of fuel and are laying off workers. Perhaps exchanging a fuel-guzzling-pollution-causing machine with a simple rake would allow one more person a job while reducing the business’ footprint on the planet. Blowing dust, weed seed, grass clippings and other green waste into the neighbor’s face or garden does absolutely nothing but waste time, energy and make an even larger mess in the bigger picture. (end of rant)

As well, he told my husband that he had tried to get someone to dig the tree out for him, but the tree services he’d spoken to did not think they could remove it by hand. And, they weren’t able to get their tree spades into the tree without damaging the other trees between the street and the tree to be removed. Plus, they were concerned about damaging the retaining wall between the house and the sidewalk during any removal. I’m sad about that answer too.

Arbutus unedo Blooming in November

I’ve dug out and successfully moved some smaller, but established trees by hand in my time. I will readily admit this tree far exceeded any tree I’ve ever removed through hand digging and hauling. However, given the chance, I would have tried. Even if I’d failed and the tree didn’t make it, I’d have only lost an afternoon (or two) with friends trying. Clearly, this “too big” tree was going to be removed one way or the other.

Now I’m curious to see what happens when the five Arbutus unedo they planted 18″ on center start to mature. At least they’re close to the curb and a tree spade might be able to take them out “when they get too big”. Then again, they’re crammed in between two maturing Katsuras, so some poor plant is going to pay when the poorly planned over planted area out grows the space.  I guess a few more specimens will eventually bite the dust — unless this area gets corrected soon, while the Arbutus are still young.

More on moving big trees and chopping down this specimen here:

• Chopping Down a Specimen, Part II
• Options to Chopping Down a Specimen (aka Part I)
• Moving and Transplanting Trees, Part I
• Moving a Dormant Stewartia Tree (aka Part II of Moving & Transplanting Trees)

 In late September I noticed my potted Angel’s trumpet (Brugsmania) was setting flowers. The plant is in a large pot on my west facing, protected front porch, which has served as my over-wintering location for many plants in past years. This plant was a speaker’s gift I received in early spring this year. As much as I love them, I’ve never added one to my collection. They’re not hardy in Seattle. They can be overwintered inside, but not at my house. Twinky, the plant-eating house cat, would be dead shortly after taking a taste of this seriously poisonous plant. So, I watched the buds as they slowly, painfully slowly, worked their way toward opening.

Angel Trumpet Blooming Mid-November 2008

A friend of mine is designing a show garden for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in 2009. I got in touch in early October to see if she’d want my Angel Trumpet for her show garden. I knew she’d have a greenhouse for it and could keep it alive and probably push it to bloom for the show. Save a plant right? Well, she does want it. I told her I wanted to hold onto it as long as I could to see if it would bloom this fall. Promising to watch the weather so we wouldn’t loose the plant, I patiently checked it regularly for true blooms rather than tight green pod-like forms on the stems. By Halloween I’d given up and was nervous the weather would turn any moment, so I called my designer friend to set a date for her to pick it up.

Late last week she dropped by to get it and the flowers were just opening. Still green, but ruffling out a bit. And, she couldn’t fit it in her truck. We decided to deliver it to the greenhouse another time. Then, I looked out my office window yesterday morning. And, Mid-November, my Angel Trumpet is blooming. Its leaves are a bit battered from fall wind storms and some are even turning color for autumn. Yet, several pale pink blooms are adorning the stems, reminding me of spring on this fall day. I have about a week to enjoy the blooms, then I need to figure out how to transport this small tree to the greenhouse where it will be given lots of pampering to fancy it up for the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in 2009.

A destroyed tree and pile of sticks

A Lovely Stewartia Before the Hack Job Began

In the past I used to offer free advice to my neighbors as I saw them doing strange things in the garden that was clearly because they didn’t know better and just needed a little help. It didn’t take me long to learn that most of these people don’t want my helpful advice and it just gets me in trouble. That being said, there are a few out there who have been thankful for my help. I can think of one poorly staked Gingko that was freed from its bonds and set forth to grow quite happily after I made a suggestion to its caretaker who was looking very confused about it one day as I walked by. Still, do I leave a note for these folks suggesting options for them in the future? Or do I keep my mouth shut and just pray they don’t go after their specimen Katsura the way they did this previously lovely Stewartia? If you’ve got the answer, pray tell!

I suppose that on the bright side, this homeowner is now the proud owner of many iterations of this year’s hall of fame toy, the stick. But, really, it’s not that bright at all.

Lake Washington Technical College Environmental Horticulture program will be offering a few evening and weekend classes for the 2009 Winter quarter. As a graduate of the program, I can attest that the horticulture program at this school is great. If you’re interested in taking some focused coursework, these might be the right things for you:

Topics in Arboriculture– Students will gain an understanding of topics and issues essential to working with trees in urban landscapes.  Some topics covered include tree biology, nutrition, pruning, plant health care, and soils.  The ISA Arborists Certification Study Guide will be the text.  This class would be helpful for anyone taking the ISA exams. (HORT 138); Tuesdays 2:00pm-5:00pm  

Landscape Design - Learn computer aided landscape design using the DynaSCAPES design program.  This class provides in depth study and hands-on experience essential to landscape design graphics. The students will gain exposure to CAD based estimating techniques, databases and plant selection programs. (HORT 120); Tuesdays from 6:00pm-9:00pm

Plant Identification – Hybrid Online Class – This class combines the flexibility and freedom of online classes with the valuable hands-on components of lecture. Students learn to identify deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers used in landscapes throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Emphasis is given to those plants that display specific identifying characteristics in the winter.  Cultural requirements, pruning, and susceptibility to pests and diseases are discussed. (HORT 125); Saturdays 9:00am-1:00pm

Enrollment is open through the first week of January 2009. But, if classes fill up, that date may close early, so sign up soon!

To learn more, program visits are offered every Wednesday at 12:30pm, no appointment needed.  Or visit the LWTCT Hort Program website or Phone: 425-739-8356

The rubber robot suit is my Carhardtt coveralls and coat that do a great job of keeping out the wet. The coat has a hood but I don’t use it. I can’t see what I’m doing or hear my clients if I wear it. So, I suffer with a soggy head in real downpours.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I’ll remind you of the post from last year on gearing up for wet weather gardening. The only change to my glamourous gardening wardrobe this year is my heavy duty robot suit, and my muck shoes, which I consider my “truck slippers”.

The muck boot company makes fantastically comfortable and dry shoes, but their sizing is just a bit off for me. Rather than get rid of the shoes, I keep them in my truck to change into after stomping through wet gardening days. My gardening boots stay dry inside, but there’s nothing like slipping on a soft, squishy pair of snug shoes for a long drive home.

Have favorite ways to stay warm and dry? Please share them here!

My Nephew in the Forest; His stick lines the waterfeature

This year “The Stick” made it into the Toy Hall of fame. I found out about it when my sister emailed to tell me and my Toy-guru stepmom that she’d heard it reported on NPR.org. She reminded us of my nephew’s one request when they moved to a new neighborhood recently: “Mom, its got to be a house with good sticks.”

Fortunately for him, it is a house with good sticks. They live in a deciduous forest in Virginia, and it is filled with sticks — tiny, twiggy magic wand sticks to huge lichen-covered branches to perfect walking sticks for kids of all sizes and ages. Everytime I visit, my nephew and his sister are guaranteed to be outside trolling the grounds for this year’s natural hall of fame toy — the Stick.

I’m sure my sister is thrilled with her kids’ choice of “found” objects to play with. These toys literally rain from the sky at her house like pennies from heaven (when you think about what a trip to the toy store costs!)  And if the kids don’t get’m, the garden will!

Now, lest we forget the old-timey hall of famer “the cardboard box” let me remind you that when its time as a train, spaceship or castle comes to an end, it too may enter the garden to join sheet mulching or the compost bin.

Now how “green” is that?!

Don't Miss This Event!

Tomorrow is the Seattle Tilth educational program fundraiser, Taste, Toast, Twirl. I feel strongly about this organization, so here I am mentioning it again as a last effort to encourage you to go buy tickets. And, in case this is an added incentive, Garden Mentors has donated two garden coaching sessions to Tilth to give away in their raffle. So, I suppose the coaching session won’t be completely free. But raffle tickets are cheap, proceeds go to a good cause, and gardening coaching isn’t the only thing you might win.

Plus, your ticket to this event will buy you a fantastic array of wine, beer, cider and soda tastings AND fantastic locally grown and prepared foods AND two bands. Oh, and don’t buy yet…with this purchase you’ll also get to support a great cause and spend the evening with like-minded, horticulturally inclined gardeners and farmers. And, if you look hard enough, you might find a garden mentor in the crowd as well.

See you there!

Buy Tickets Here.

Imagine These Annuals Becoming Perennial!

Here’s another one from the geneticists: Apparently, they’ve found a way to make annuals stop thinking short term and go for the long haul. Imagine no more $3.29 six packs of coleus, petunia and marigold filling up the “seasonal color” sections of nurseries. Can you see it now? Lobelia edging with woody stems coming alive from overwintered buds in spring? Impatients going from blackened-freezer-burn-mush piles at the first frost to standing firm through winter to bursting forth in bloom in warm spring shade?

As much as I don’t like the idea of humans messing with plant genetics, I have to admit that we’ve been doing it for a very long time. And, frankly, I’d like a fancy fuchsia or heliotrope tree that would happily over-winter in the garden bed. (And I bet the hummingbirds would too!)