We're
Jmbamboo, a mail order, retail/wholesale bamboo nursery. We have the
selection and service of the larger nurseries with the personal service
and attention to detail that they just can't provide. I'm Jim and I'm
the one who will take your order and answer you questions. I like the
one to one relationship I have with my customers and I enjoy answering
the questions and providing advice on which bamboo to choose.
Bamboo is one of the world's fastest growing
plants, able to lock up a large amounts of carbon dioxide which is one
of the biggest contributors to global warming. Bamboo will produce a
larger biomass than any other plant in a shorter amount of time with
very little water. A mature grove of bamboo will produce a large amounts
of oxygen while providing a screen against wind, noise, and dust. Bamboo
is often used for erosion control. The network of rhizomes form a sort
of "mat" a few inches below the surface. The rhizomes are
very difficult to break.
In the past bamboo was central to life
in many cultures. This was especially true in Asian countries. A Chinese
farmer may have lived in a bamboo house, sat in a bamboo chair, and
eaten food stored and prepared in bamboo containers. He may have used
bamboo mats for flooring, beds, and covers. His sandals would have been
made from bamboo and his hat woven from split bamboo. His livestock
would have been in bamboo cages and pens and a bamboo fence would have
enclosed his yard. The shoots of his bamboo might make up part of his
meal which was eaten with bamboo chopsticks. A fisherman might use a
raft made from bamboo that used bamboo for it's sails and ropes. Tools
would have been made from bamboo or used bamboo as handles.
Today things have changed but bamboo is
still used in the same way in many rural cultures. Hundreds of new uses
have been found for bamboo. No other plant has impacted so many cultures
in so many ways over such a long period of time. This page will grow
over time as we explore the ways bamboo has been used in the past and
it's changing role today.
All kinds of constructon is done with bamboo. Domes,
tea houses, roof tiles, gutters, ladder, concrete reinforcement, scaffolding,
pergolas, temples, gazebos, shade pavilions, garden trellises, scaffolding,
towers, churches, barns, pig pens, fish traps, piers, retaining walls,
chicken pens, play structures, ladders, shelves, most anything you can
think of. Bamboo flooring has become one of the most popular "hardwood"
flooring products on the market today. "Plyboo"
takes the place of plywood.
There
are hundreds of nurseries around the world specializing in bamboo. The
vast majority of customers want bamboo to use as a screen. This may
be for privacy, to block a view, to cut down on noise or simply to provide
dramatic beauty in the landscape. Being an evergreen is a big part of
bamboo's attraction. Small, dwarf bamboos are used as groundcovers,
slightly larger bamboos make beautiful hedges, and the larger species
make beautful specimen plants in the garden. There's nothing quite like
a grove of giant bamboo with towering canes. Walking through the grove
is an experience few will forget. There are many places in the US where
bamboo has been used in the landscape. Besides the locations listed
here some others include Fairchild Gardens in Miami, Fl. and Quail
Botanical Gardens in LaJolla, Ca.
Both locations have huge collections of tropical bamboos. Most botanical
gardens have a section devoted to bamboo or Japanese garden areas planted
with bamboo.
There
are hundreds of kinds of fences built from bamboo. The Chinese and Japanese
have taken this to a high level of art. There are multple
books about bamboo fences with with information on techniques
and tools devoted to bamboo craft. Fences range from
simple lattice, to woven panels, to living walls. Fences made from
bamboo may be used for privacy, for decoration, to contain livestock,
as guard rails, to block unpleasant views, for every use imaginable.
Building a bamboo fence can be quite simple
or extremely elaborate. How to build a simple
bamboo fence.
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