UK gardening - Bamboo again (in Edinburgh)

Author

Bamboo again (in Edinburgh)

edhead

2007-04-26, 9:25 am

Hello all,

I've trawled through the archives and seen the usual scare stories
about and defenses of bamboo... and I'm still interested in planting
some. We have just moved into a ground-floor flat in Edinburgh which
has one of those little strips of garden between the house and street,
about 8 feet by 30. It was dug over just before we moved in in
December 06 and currently is a mass of weeds. I am interested in
planting some bamboo along the street side as a privacy screen and
because I think it's a lovely plant. I had a couple of questions (and
note I have never owned a garden before and know nothing about them!):

- this is pretty much a north-facing side of the house and so I
suppose I'd need to look at shade-resistant varieties. Also, although
Edinburgh doesn't get the drenching that the west coast of Scotland
gets, it certainly gets cold and it's frequently windy. I'm not
certain whether to worry about clumping vs. running since in
Scotland's low temperatures running may not be too much of a problem.
I'd think about putting in a barrier for a runner anyway. Can anyone
recommend any varieties? I only ever seem to see 'Golden Bamboo' in
the garden centres.

- Speaking of barriers, if I understand it correctly, this is a strip
of plastic sheeting dug vertically into the ground around the proposed
bamboo area to stop the runners. Have I got the right idea? Would I
need this on the street side of the bamboo? I'm guessing not because
it would just hit the foundations of the footpath.

- I'd also like to plant grass over the remaining soil (once I have
dug it over etc - a project in itself!) After that, could I just
transfer potted bamboos into the soil and then sow grass around them
or are the bamboos likely to be better off in their own beds?

- I'm totally open to suggestions for other nice climbers or tall-
growing plants that I could use alongside or instead of bamboo in this
sort of cool, shady position, either flowering or not.

Thanks a lot,
cam

Charlie Pridham

2007-04-26, 9:25 am

"edhead" <edhead2003@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1177592580.244532.112880@n15g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
> Hello all,
>
> I've trawled through the archives and seen the usual scare stories
> about and defenses of bamboo... and I'm still interested in planting
> some. We have just moved into a ground-floor flat in Edinburgh which
> has one of those little strips of garden between the house and street,
> about 8 feet by 30. It was dug over just before we moved in in
> December 06 and currently is a mass of weeds. I am interested in
> planting some bamboo along the street side as a privacy screen and
> because I think it's a lovely plant. I had a couple of questions (and
> note I have never owned a garden before and know nothing about them!):
>
> - this is pretty much a north-facing side of the house and so I
> suppose I'd need to look at shade-resistant varieties. Also, although
> Edinburgh doesn't get the drenching that the west coast of Scotland
> gets, it certainly gets cold and it's frequently windy. I'm not
> certain whether to worry about clumping vs. running since in
> Scotland's low temperatures running may not be too much of a problem.
> I'd think about putting in a barrier for a runner anyway. Can anyone
> recommend any varieties? I only ever seem to see 'Golden Bamboo' in
> the garden centres.
>
> - Speaking of barriers, if I understand it correctly, this is a strip
> of plastic sheeting dug vertically into the ground around the proposed
> bamboo area to stop the runners. Have I got the right idea? Would I
> need this on the street side of the bamboo? I'm guessing not because
> it would just hit the foundations of the footpath.
>
> - I'd also like to plant grass over the remaining soil (once I have
> dug it over etc - a project in itself!) After that, could I just
> transfer potted bamboos into the soil and then sow grass around them
> or are the bamboos likely to be better off in their own beds?
>
> - I'm totally open to suggestions for other nice climbers or tall-
> growing plants that I could use alongside or instead of bamboo in this
> sort of cool, shady position, either flowering or not.
>
> Thanks a lot,
> cam
>

Bamboo will certainly do the job you want it too, the Phyllostachs sorts
have some nice coloured stem forms (Culms) black gold, green and some with
stripes on them.
As to barriers, I have seen them go through half each purpose laid rubber
barrier so plastic is not going to do the job! having said that, its not
really that much of a problem and each year when the new stems start coming
up just look for those going in a direction you do not want, and use a spade
and lump hammer to slice through the underground roots or an old saw.
I have just a few Bamboos in the garden and find on my shallow soil the do
the job of a small evergreen tree (which I then grow clematis into)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

John McMillan

2007-04-26, 1:25 pm

In article <1177592580.244532.112880@n15g2000prd.googlegroups.com>,
edhead <edhead2003@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I've trawled through the archives and seen the usual scare stories
> about and defenses of bamboo... and I'm still interested in planting
> some. We have just moved into a ground-floor flat in Edinburgh which
> has one of those little strips of garden between the house and street,
> about 8 feet by 30. It was dug over just before we moved in in
> December 06 and currently is a mass of weeds. I am interested in
> planting some bamboo along the street side as a privacy screen and
> because I think it's a lovely plant. I had a couple of questions (and
> note I have never owned a garden before and know nothing about them!):
>
> - this is pretty much a north-facing side of the house and so I
> suppose I'd need to look at shade-resistant varieties. Also, although
> Edinburgh doesn't get the drenching that the west coast of Scotland
> gets, it certainly gets cold and it's frequently windy. I'm not
> certain whether to worry about clumping vs. running since in
> Scotland's low temperatures running may not be too much of a problem.
> I'd think about putting in a barrier for a runner anyway. Can anyone
> recommend any varieties? I only ever seem to see 'Golden Bamboo' in
> the garden centres.
>
> - Speaking of barriers, if I understand it correctly, this is a strip
> of plastic sheeting dug vertically into the ground around the proposed
> bamboo area to stop the runners. Have I got the right idea? Would I
> need this on the street side of the bamboo? I'm guessing not because
> it would just hit the foundations of the footpath.
>
> - I'd also like to plant grass over the remaining soil (once I have
> dug it over etc - a project in itself!) After that, could I just
> transfer potted bamboos into the soil and then sow grass around them
> or are the bamboos likely to be better off in their own beds?
>
> - I'm totally open to suggestions for other nice climbers or tall-
> growing plants that I could use alongside or instead of bamboo in this
> sort of cool, shady position, either flowering or not.
>
> Thanks a lot,
> cam

Scottish Bamboo Nursery
Middlemuir Farm, Craigievar, Alford, Aberdeenshire, AB33 8JS; tel:
(019755) 81316; fax: (019755) 81411. Some 87 species and varieties
offered, all hardy in Scotland.

A considerable distance north of Edinburgh.
While it seems to have had a website it isn't working today.

CWatters

2007-04-26, 5:25 pm

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