Bamboo, is a grass and an unbelievably  useful plant, from a food souse to clothing material to scaffolding to drinking cups and furniture, it seems to have no end to uses. But as an ornamental plant it seems to be like Marmite you either love them or hate them. The love bit is easy; creating an exotic feel to your planting, quick growing, evergreen, giving lots of height without taking the amount of room a more traditional shrub would, architectural form and a good screening plant. Hate- well I think this has more to do with right plant right place, often badly placed in traditional planting looking ‘wrong’ to growing vigorous running forms of bamboo that take over the next door neighbours drive.  So here are a few to consider giving house room to.

Top tips:- Bamboos are not to be messed with. They look fantastic in containers, but if you are brave and putting them in the garden, then even if they are described as ‘clump forming,’ I would always, always plant any bamboo contained by bamboo root barrier. Bamboo root barrier is a strong heavy duty plastic normally about 500mm wide, that you use to contain the bamboo roots to help prevent root run. But nothing is foolproof. If you are containing an existing planting, dig in around the roots of the plant about 300mm out from the outer canes/culms. If it is a new plant decide the size of bamboo clump you want, make the root barrier into the correct size circle and dig a tench, bury the root barrier  so just 30/40mm is above the surface. Follow the manufactures instructions/guidelines for installation. Now plant your new bamboo plant in the centre. Don’t go mad with the feeding of bamboo as the growth will be more vigorous, but plants like good soil which is moisture retentive a dry container will not be a happy bamboo. Bamboo barrier supplier who can advise you. www.palmcentre.co.uk

Bamboos are a woodland edge plant, often doing best in dappled shade where their leaves don’t bleached. Also this means they are not good doers in windy or exposed sites, which will leave you with an almost bare bamboo of canes but few leaves and will look very miserable.

Fargesia. jiuhaigou: A wonderful plant with bold upright canes/culms, starting green and on maturity go a dramatic red/purple. Dense mid green foliage. Brilliant as a screen planting, up to 3m tall. Clump forming.

Fargesia robusta ‘Pingwu’: Has striking canes/culms almost striped green and white. With deep lush green foliage. Reaching 3 m and above clump forming.

Fargesia rufa: A brilliant bamboo for a container as it has a mass of canes/culms and is constantly producing shoots. The shoots are a lovely peach red colour contrasting dramaticly with the mid green foliage. Clump forming to 2m.

Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘spectabilis’: Warning, handle with care, this is a running bamboo with vigorous growth. Wonderful contained in a pot. Or if you have the room or a panda to feed will produce groves of bamboo. Must only be planted with a root barrier. Bright green foliage held on the classic yellow canes/culms with some green zigzagging on culms. Growing to 6m of taller.

Phyllostachys nigra: The classic black bamboo. With dark purple all most black canes/culms that start green and get darker with maturity. The dark culms are a stunning foil to the dark green foliage. It is a slower grower and can reach 4m in height. Warning handle with care it is a runner even if a bit slower always plant with root barrier or enjoy this striking plant in a container.

Phyllostachys vivax ‘Aureocaulis’: This is one of the big ‘Daddys’ of the Bamboo world, reaching heights of 9m or more. It’s common name is the golden Chinese timber bamboo. Due to it’s large and strong golden canes/culms, which are indeed used for scaffolding, building and furniture. Attractive green strips appear on some of the canes when mature. Warning handle with care; very fast growing and a vigorous runner, forming large groves and  a bamboo forest tall enough to hide an elephant. I would suggest it should only ever be planted in a container where it will make a striking statement.

Bamboo Names; over resent years bamboos has danced their way through a multiple of horticultural names as they have been reclassified and re-grouped. This is often after older specimens in botanical collections around the world, have flowered and it has been recognised that they are  in the wrong sub group. So do not worry if you use an old name when contacting a nursery particularly if they are specialists in Bamboos they will, I am sure know the variety you are looking for.

I hope I have wetted your apatite to think again about Bamboos ?

After all Pandas Love them, Can you?