Bamboos Lining our Driveway
Our driveway is about 650 feet long, paved with concrete. This drive has been ideal as a barrier to bamboo. The soil beneath is
very rocky and was extremely well compacted over several years. After almost 20 years, none of these have crossed beneath the
10 to 12 foot wide concrete. We live in a little valley, actually a double valley with our home and nursery on the low ridge between
the two small branches that run down these little 'hollers' . Mostly all wooded, we have utilized our sunny areas to the most. These are only some of the bamboos we have planted.

 

The entrance to our nursery is between two groves of Black Bamboo (P.nigra) as you continue down the hill you pass groves
of Sasa vetchii, Arrow Bamboo (P.japonica) and this bright green patch of P.v. Chrysophylis. A matching grove is directly
across the drive along with a nice planting of Ruscus Bamboo.

P.v.Chrysophyllis

      
On the left is a grove of Dwarf David Bisset with a beautiful planting of S.m.albostriata on the right. These
groves are near the bottom of the hill, just before you cross the dam holding back the water in our small pond.

Crossing the dam.

The back side of our pond's dam is completely covered by a huge grove of Robert Young Bamboo.
The pond side has Japanese Timber, Black, and Makinoi. Once you cross the bridge there is a mature grove of Giant Gray Henon followed by a nice stand of Temple Bamboo (actually two, one on each side of the drive. Across from the Henon is Sasa vetchii wiht it's white edged leaves. It covers the back of the dam once you've crossed over the spillway. You'll pass Houzeou, Shiroshima and another of my favorites, Sweetshoot Bamboo.

Robert Young has gaint yellow canes with ocassional dark green stripes.

Black Bamboo is a favorite for many people.

Looking back up the drive between the Temple Bamboo. This bamboo is very erect with short little limbs up high,
i t's sometimes called "Bottle Brush" bamboo.Very cold hardy.

Sweetshoot bamboo has canes that have a very 'wavy' look. This poor grove was planted on extremely rocky soil with almost
no topsoil. It's confined to an area in an angle of the drive and a gravel road leading further down to the nursery.
I wanted a big grove quick so I started with three plants in 1992. For several years I covered it with rotted horse manure
and mulch. It grew faster than I even hoped and in just a few years there were dozens of big, sinuous canes. As the number and sizes
of bamboo groves we had planted grew, we began to neglect the grove and many nice canes died during periods of drought. I've begun a new program of feeding and mulching to restore it to it's former glory.

A little further up is the one grassy area we have. It is planted with a few big, decorative grasses and three very short groundcovers - Distichus, Pygmy, and Fernleaf. Directly across from the grassy area is a long line of Yellow Groove Bamboo with a few giant canes of
Vivax bamboo, down along the creek.

 

 

Below are some of the bamboos located in a former garden spot.


This mature grove of Moso fills an area where we had our first garden. The grove was planted in 1993 and now
covers about 1/4 acre. I've controlled it's spread by running my tractor around the grove on a regular basis, maintaining
a roadway surrounding the bamboo grove. Most canes average 4 inches or larger in diameter with a few at 5 to 6 inches.
I chose the best site on our 20 acres to plant this giant bamboo, a favorite of many bamboo lovers.

Surrounding the Moso grove are a number of other groves of bamboo. They are seperated from the Moso by about 20 to 30 feet
clearing. This clearing contains the dirt road surrounding the Moso. The surrounding groves include Spectabilis, Bory, Incense,
Castillion, and Hibanobambus. Below are pictures of these groves.

Hibanobambusa tranquilans. This large leaved bamboo has a very tropical look.

  
This grove of Spectabilis (P.a.Spectabilis) is on the northern side of the Moso grove. It was stated from a small plant
about 6 years ago. It has spread over an area about 30 feet long by 5 feet deep and has many nice, one to two inch canes. This is really a beautiful bamboo, yellow canes with green stripes. About 5 to 10% of the canes have a zig-zag near the base. This is a common
characteristic of P.aureosulcata. (Spectabilis is a variety of P.aureosulcata)

This grove of Incense bamboo (P.atrovaginata) is one of my favorites. The picture doesn't do it justice. The canes average
about 2 to 3 inches in diameter and are somewhat "stocky" looking. The canes are very erect and upright. This grove is on the northwest side of the Mosoa and is about 12 years old.

Leopard or Snakeskin bamboo (P.n.Bory) is a very unique bamboo having green canes with purplish spots or splotches.
It is closely related to Black Giant Gray Henon. This grove extends along the southern side of the Moso grove,
lining the edge of a small creek. Most of the canes are in the 3 inch range, 40 to 50 feet tall.

Not shown is a grove of P.b.Castillion along the western side of the Moso grove.