I've never been a big fan of topping bamboo, and avoid doing it unless the plant is really in a bad way. I'm not convinced that topping causes significant rhizome growth that wouldn't occur naturally, and the plant looks butchered. I know that topping is supposed to bring the leaf mass back into balance with the rhizome mass of a new division, but I don't believe this is always necessary. I've made divisions without topping and have even had new shoots come up shortly thereafter. For me, the key is getting the biggest rootball I can. To top or not to top?: that is a question on which reasonable people can disagree...

I never totally bury the crinums on first planting. They will adjust themselves. Some like to grow much deeper in the soil, some not. I always plant them like an amaryllid, neck and shoulders above the soil line, at least in clay I do. I've never planted an amaryllid in anything else. Mine all seem to do great!

As long as you don't have to do the lifting and toting then cost becomes the primary consideration. (For most of us it is the back. ;) So if you can afford it then Choice 1 may be the best after all. As I said above I'd go with Choice 2 because it HAS to be much cheaper and it is likely a good base to start with but there is no way to know what may need to be added because so many things are sold labeled as "topsoil" - some are ok and some are crap. So many things are sold as "mulch" and the same rules apply. As to manure - has it been composted? Most likely so. Fill the bed with Choice 2 and then add several bags of the compost from Lowes, 1 bale of the peat, and a good dose of slow-release fertilizer all mixed in well and you should be ok for the first year. More compost will be needed each year after. Without seeing the stuff that's the best I can do but keep in mind that landscapers are always trying to sell you fancy expensive mixes you don't need so don't buy into everything he says. ;) Dave

I do not think matelasse is supposed to be shiny. It is all about rich texture, and IMO shininess would detract from that. I wonder if it is a surface application as bigdtc suggests, maybe it would off if you put it through the washer and dryer. I wash and dry mine all the time, they do shrink a bit the first time.