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Landscape Design

Plant8ng bamboo in raised beds

last year

I am thinking of planting bamboo in two raised flower beds along our exterior garden wall, beds are approximately 10f long, 2f wide and 2 and half foot deep. During the summer it would be mainly in the sun. I was going for fargesia as its a clumping type but wondering do I need to put in a barrier? How easy is it to manage? And as it will be in direct sunlight the best type to go for. Or any suggestions for an alternative to bamboo Any advice welcome as I'm a complete novice.

Comments (10)

Laura Moloney
Original Author
last year
I am in North Dublin. I started looking at ornamental grass today, japanese silvergrass? . I was hoping for a tropical feel to garden, plan on getting ferns and australian fern tree, the garden is small.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Fargesias are an excellent choice for this application. They expand slowly and manageably over time and do not require the use of a barrier. Other clumpers would work in the same manner. Also, most bamboos do very well in full sun provided they get adequate water.
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Little lost gardener, we're in very similar situations, even down to the size of our new back yards. Last year I grew everything in pots because I was pondering and reading and I had cherry tomatoes until we had a hard freeze. Last winter I put in two 4 foot by 4 foot raised beds. I've got FULL sun in my back yard, no tree cover at all. My lettuces in one of the raised beds did beautifully, and even survived 2 frosts with only a sheet tossed over them at night, until the hot weather made them bolt. Radishes were great too. Your tomatoes should have plenty of room given your description. All the best of good luck with your new house and garden! And don't be afraid to experiment -- I've put some grocery store ginger into the ground, hoping it will grow, and I've got sprouts. Same thing with grocery store garlic -- I think I've got big garlic bulbs happening. I can't begin to tell you how much fun you're going to have! (And if something shrivels up and dies don't beat yourself up -- chalk it up to a learning experience, try to figure out what caused it, and then decide whether or not to try that plant/crop again. I won't go into my miseries with zucchini and The Dreaded Squash Vine Borer....!)
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Your approach will contain most of the rhizomes. I often plant my bamboo in a raised mound and that helps me keep an eye on the rhizomes. However, I would avoid the use of a pond liner as the rhizomes will punch right through if they get to it (trust me on this, I've seen it happen). Just accept that a rhizome or two may escape and that you'll have to dig it up. It's not a big deal: just take a pickaxe, swing it crosswise to the rhizome, and then just pop it out and cut it off.
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Sounds like a basically good plan. A few comments: 1. 5' should be wide enough. 2. I often plant in a mound; it seems to keep rhizomes closer to the surface. 8" is plenty high for the mound and a 12" deep trench should also be fine. You could also consider filling the trench with sand as that's easy to get a spade through and it provides a firmer walking surface than bark/mulch. I grow dozens of different runners, and I've never had a rhizome go deeper than 12". If you have one that does go deeper, it will be rare, and you can simply remove it when it makes its presence known rather than go to all the work of trenching even deeper. 3. Stones make an attractive border. A rhizome is not likely to move a stone much, but it will likely cause a rhizome to deflect; in some cases, that might make it dive deeper than usual. I have a stone border around some of my beds and I occasionally have to pull a stone out to get at a rhizome. If you like the look of stone, there's no reason not to use it. 4. As for homeowners associations, they all seem to be different (although most are annoying). If you can get a look at the bylaws, do it. It's better than specifically asking about planting bamboo as that may arouse their interest, or strike fear into their shriveled, little hearts.
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thanks. ok - I'm hearing the "strudy" message. I have other tomatoes in large containers with inexpensive cages - I've done this other years and its always been fine. My area has such a short growing season - its hard to imagine these 6' beasts. Frex - I have an early girl - which is a hybrid indeterminate - and it seems fine with the cage. My backyard is fairly wind-sheltered. I'm really looking forward to the monster heirlooms - and my first year with these nice beds.
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Laura Moloney
Original Author
last year
Thank you, yes I was afraid that this type of thing might happen. Would you have any suggestions for an alternative to bamboo?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
last modified: last year
While the 2 foot depth of the planting bed is on the slim side, it is still very doable. Clumping bamboos expand very slowly....only an inch or two a year. Fargesia robusta 'Campbell' is particularly dense, upright and a very tight clumper. It would take many years before it outgrew that spot.

Other ornamental grasses will not grow to a similar height and not all will be evergreen but if that is not a concern, many of those could work as well. But they will expand their base or spread just the same as the bamboo will.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
If I lived where you do I’d get myself out to Glasnevin and look for inspiration. There are lots of tropical looking things you could grow in your climate.
Laura Moloney
Original Author
last year
Which place in glasnevin would you recommend? As the nearest place I can find online is dun laoghaire
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
I would guess floral is referring to the National Botanical Gardens located there. Their collection is pretty massive!
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Snork!! Like you would have any idea of that????

The inanity of many of these comments is truly remarkable!
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
last modified: last year
Glasnevin is a world famous garden 3 km from Dublin city centre, Laura. There will be lots of plantings there to give you ideas, including family beds which would include grasses. From their website: ”Cultivating a wide range of plants from the diverse climatic regions of the world, and displaying these under good horticultural practice allows our visitors to see what they too can achieve in their own gardens.”

The blue climber on my wall is Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’.

https://botanicgardens.ie

p.s. entry is free. Should be a grand day out.😊
Laura Moloney
Original Author
last year
Thanks for all the advice.

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