Bamboo Garden

I love bamboo. Its feather leaves, it's gorgeous stems, and the sound it makes in even a gentle breeze. Ever since they were very little, my boys loved the Chinese Scholars' Garden and its bamboo at the Hamilton Gardens. Later, they would play for hours in the bamboo forest at a friend's place.

When we bought our place in the country, from the beginning we talked of growing bamboo, but were always intimidated by stories of bamboo escaping and taking over.

Mac acquired a 'new' old tractor with a bucket, so we talked of digging a moat and building an island on which we could grow bamboo, but still we procrastinated.  Recently we've been talking to a friend who is a professional nurseryman. But even then we did nothing.

 Over a three week period we watched as Peter's bamboo produced big fat shoots and

grew

and grew.

Finally Peter gave us a root from his bamboo. And another. And a third.

Mac got the tractor going.

It mightn't look so great yet but we have the beginnings of a bamboo forest of our own.

Now I'm wondering where we might build a second island for another variety. Or a third. Or or fourth.