Any bamboo growers here?

lostinrates

I'm hoping some one might have first hand experience of bamboos, especially the borinda group.

I have a very non oriental and non jungley garden but want to add bamboo to the boundaries both for screening and that lovely bamboo noise. I don't plan for it to be specimen planting, but soft screening.

I'm looking for height of four metres plus and blue, grey, mauve colourings, and good clumping tendency.

Despite preferring finer leaves, the culm colouring of lots of the borindas seems really appropriate Particularly borinda papyrifera, borinda boliana and borinda macclureana.

But googling reveals that they might not really be evergreen here. I am in south of England, but not a warm spot, and only one could be in a spot it could truley describe as sheltered.

Any one any experience of these bamboos?

annie123

My dad has a zen garden with clumping bamboo screening and specimen planting.
He took advice from the people below and yes his are evergreen even through the snow of '10
He lives in Essex and has open fields behind the house and they provide a wind break from the north east and west winds.
http://www.scottishbamboo.com/

Hope that helps.

annie123

My dad said 50% were planted in '08 and the other half late 09.
He bubble wrapped the the latter planting in Nov'10 just in case they hadn't established enough to survive snow as they weren't cheap.
They all survived but if he did it again he would plant late winter early spring to give them longer to establish and we usually get decent rain fall then as it cuts down on watering.

lostinrates

Thanks Annie. I cannot see any borinda on that sight. That might suggest they don't consider them suitable.

Davesnave

These people do a Borinda and the guy looks to know his stuff. You could give them a call.....

https://www.bowdenhostas.com/categories/Bamboos/

Eenymeeny

Davesnave wrote: »

These people do a Borinda and the guy looks to know his stuff. You could give them a call.....

https://www.bowdenhostas.com/categories/Bamboos/

The guy from Bowden Hostas was featured on the BBC coverage of Chelsea this year and did seem very knowledgable. (I'm a hosta and ferns fan:)) I also like bamboos but am scared to let them out of their containers because I've heard some horror stories of them rooting and taking hold:eek:.

alanobrien

I have a couple of Borinda's from junglegiants they have specialised in bambo for years.

Take a look here;

http://www.junglegiants.co.uk/

lostinrates

alanobrien wrote: »

I have a couple of Borinda's from junglegiants they have specialised in bambo for years.

Take a look here;

http://www.junglegiants.co.uk/

Thanks. I'd seen the jungle giants site.

Do you find yours retain leaf through winter? What sort of position are they in? Which do you have and how tall are they? Have they turned out as described?