Bamboo!

greenfreak said:
I'm surprised you mention soil ph, most people have no idea and wind up screwing it all up with chemicals and fertilizers. Are you a gardener?
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Well... :blush: I dabble... :D

I'm actually looking into ornamental grasses for my garden this year but pampas grass grows too damn big.
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Big trend the last few years here too... careful research is needed... grasses are "weeds" and they grow like them too... cute and cuddly in the garden centre but out in the garden they become monsters!!!!

Seed dispersal can be a big one to curb too... The most successful grass gardens I've seen lately have been groups of pots on patios or gravel... curbing their invasive tendancies and keeping them away from the borders where seedlings can take root!
 
My yard is barren with the exception of a few shrubs and my containers, so I have a lot of space to work with. I saw a beautiful variegated lemongrass but it requires partial shade and I don't have any. I wish I could grow it, it always catches my eye every time I see it and the way it cascades is beautiful. But, alas, I am resigned to only full-sun plants.

If you haven't already, you should look into www.gardenweb.com forums. I'm greenfreak over there too, it's a great place to talk plants. They have tons of seperate forums.
 
greenfreak said:
My yard is barren with the exception of a few shrubs and my containers, so I have a lot of space to work with. I saw a beautiful variegated lemongrass but it requires partial shade and I don't have any. I wish I could grow it, it always catches my eye every time I see it and the way it cascades is beautiful. But, alas, I am resigned to only full-sun plants.

If you haven't already, you should look into www.gardenweb.com forums. I'm greenfreak over there too, it's a great place to talk plants. They have tons of seperate forums.
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Sounds like the perfect situation for grasses... is your home quite modern too... I always feel they look best in a modern setting... they look gorgeous in gun metal and stainless steel planters... and instead of gravel with rounded glass chippings and/or slate chippings as a mulch in borders...

Why not plant a tree or put up an arbour (sp!) to provide that shade?

Thanks for the head's up! I'll give it a try... if I like it and register I'll try and be ClaireBear or some other varient... I always am!
 
I rent, so I'm not into making major permanent changes. And the gardening is meant to draw the eye away from the house, which is extremely ugly. I do a pretty good job, according to the neighbor across the street who has thanked me for giving her something nice to look at out her window instead of the house. :D
 
Nixy said:
My bamboo is doing FABULOUS!

I cleaned the rocks the other day and everything :D
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Know what I cleaned the seashells in mine and they are now taking off like you would not believe, so glad for them..... :swing:
 
I guess with them you have to keep that water clean, and they'll do well.

Tonks, you guys have a digital camera, can you snap a few pictures? I love the really long curly bamboo myself. I was thinking about getting some too.
 
i need to google the care of them...they just had them in water at the shop and that's how i have them.
GF? i'll try to get some up in a bit :)
 
Lucky Bamboo, botanical name Dracaena, is tough and resilient and it's considered easy to care for. First, avoid too much sunlight. Lucky Bamboo grows naturally under the canopy of wet tropical rain forests. It needs little sunlight to thrive. The more indirect, the better. If you see burning or browning on the tips of the leaves, the location may have received too much sunlight.
Lucky Bamboo must be kept moist all the time. It prefers a few inches of fresh, or filtered water. It will also thrive in a soil mixture as long as this soil holds a lot of water.

Supplementation is recommended unless you place a fish such as the Siamese fighting fish in the container. Neither water nor soil contains the vitamins, minerals and hormones that are found in Lucky Bamboo's natural growing environment. We recomend a quarter dilution of any popular indoor houseplant fertilizer, every two weeks.

If you add a fish with your lucky bamboo, it will provide nutrients to the water, which should be enough for this plant. You don't want to add fertillizer with the fish, as this may also harm the fish. If you add a fish, it is very important to keep your lucky bamboo out of direct sunlight to prevent overheating the water.

a reason to get a pretty fish!
 
I really like the one in the tall vase on the right. That's what I'm talking about, it's a nice shape and size.

If you're thinking of getting a siamese fighting fish, do a search here on "betta". I remember having a few conversations about those fish and the myths surrounding their care and feeding.

From the looks of your bamboo holders, it won't be suitable for one of these fish though. Then tend to jump, I lost one of mine that way. And when I say lost, I mean lost. I never found it. :(

RIP Mercury.
 
greenfreak said:
I really like the one in the tall vase on the right. That's what I'm talking about, it's a nice shape and size.

If you're thinking of getting a siamese fighting fish, do a search here on "betta". I remember having a few conversations about those fish and the myths surrounding their care and feeding.

From the looks of your bamboo holders, it won't be suitable for one of these fish though. Then tend to jump, I lost one of mine that way. And when I say lost, I mean lost. I never found it. :(

RIP Mercury.
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:lol: we have cats. i'm not going to put a beta in a low bowl...instant snack.
i'm keeping my eyes out for new vases that will hold the bamboo better. preferably something in red. we are gonna paint the bedroom dark green and the duvet cover is dark red...anyway, i digress.
i wish i knew how they got it to curl or how they manipulate the shape of it period! i've seen so many cool designs of the stuff! there is a chinese restaurant next to the WF i work at that has floering bamboo. it gorgeous...and expensive.
 
As the bamboo grows and is pliable, they probably train it around a pole. It's probably a lot like bonsai when they tie the branches with wire to get them growing in a particular direction.
 
greenfreak said:
As the bamboo grows and is pliable, they probably train it around a pole. It's probably a lot like bonsai when they tie the branches with wire to get them growing in a particular direction.
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Possible I guess...but all the things I've read say that they contain the bamboo in dark areas with only one strip of light and by turning the bamboo every so often it grows spiral because of its desire to grow towards the light :) And the keep it inside a cylindicral container so it grows around inside the container...against the edge...
 
Well, the ivy I got from GA finally saw soil this month, and DAMN, it's likes it. It stayed alive in water, but it's grown over an inch from the top, and has a branch off at the bottom that's over 2" .
 
You just HAD to bring this thread up. My bamboo is dying...it's about time though. Chris bought this for me, now I can buy my own.
 
Professur said:
Well, the ivy I got from GA finally saw soil this month, and DAMN, it's likes it. It stayed alive in water, but it's grown over an inch from the top, and has a branch off at the bottom that's over 2" .
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In 12 months, you'll be cussing us out because it will be uncontrollable.
 
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