I have a little stand of bamboo in my yard. I harvest the bamboo stalks for garden projects, such as tomato cages, art projects, and bamboo fencing. A garden fence can add a focal point as well as privacy, and since bamboo is such a fast grower, the plant can provide an abundance of material. Currently, my daughter and I are working on rebuilding an old birdhouse, so we are using our bamboo for that project.

    I did buy a rolled bamboo fence as a privacy fence. I have an area under a tree where I sit to read. I also have my barbecue and a play area for the girls there. I wanted a slightly higher fence to create more privacy between my neighbor’s and my yards, but I also wanted something that would create a wonderful looking wall behind my reading nook. A rolled bamboo fence is a quick cheap solution for this area. I tack the roll to the existing fence. This style of fencing does not entirely block the view. You can double up the fence material for a better screen.
    You can make your own custom bamboo fence. I had bamboo on my mind when walking through the Japanese Garden. I did not know what I might do with all of my bamboo. The garden offered some examples of different types of fences that I realized that these are not hard to build. I took these photgraphs to demonstrate how you can construct your own fence. One idea that I take away from this garden is that you should vary the style of fences in your garden.

Basic Bamboo Fence

This style of fence is the easiest to make. I use this for any vine plants, like peas or beans in my vegetable garden. You create a cross pattern, and tie the bamboo stalks at the intersections. First tie the stalks with wire. To enhance the look, you find a colored rope to go over this wire. I buy a white nylon rope, and then paint it to match my color scheme. White rope can be found at hardware stores, while the colored ropes would be at a hobby shop.

For a more Custom Bamaboo Fence

In this fence, bamboo stalks are packed tightly between bamboo bars that hold them in place. I like this look, because if you grow bamboo at home, you will know that the stalks are not always straight, and you do not have uniform thickness. To accomplish this custom look, you build your frame first. You will have two posts with bars running along the back of the fence and on the front of the fence.  Place stalks into the gap between the bars. To pack them in, you should tie a bundle of stalks together.

Another Simple Bamboo Fence

You can use normal wood for the frame (posts and cross bars). Take the bamboo stalks that you wish to use, and place them in the position where you want them on the frame. Drill a hole through the stalk where the bamboo crosses the frame, then nail the stalk to the frame. If you nail through the bamboo without drilling, you will split the stalk- not a good look.

For the Fence

I think wood is better in appearance; however, I have seen people use painted pvc tubes. These tubes work well with bamboo, since they reference the tube like shape of the plant. I place some pebbles at the base of the hole for drainage. I then fill the holes with decomposed grantie, which I tamp down. I use my four foot level to check that the posts are level. To match the height of the posts, I use a string with my level.

Did this inspire you? How would you elaborate on these fences?

From a Houston garden to the table - A site dedicated to gardening and cooking in Houston.

Houston floods. It is a fact of life that is not always pleasant for my garden. I have placed mulches in various spots around my garden, only to see them washed away. I did not enjoy the idea of buying new mulch each year for all of my garden beds, particularly when I was trying to cut down on expenses. Using rocks and pebbles became my goal. Fortunately, there are many types to choose, which makes for some garden design a little more interesting.

    Iremember going to the gardens of palaces and castles in Germany as a kid. The use of rocks to create patterns stuck with me. My first foray into using rocks was in my front courtyard garden. I used a white granite in two triangle sections, and black Moon pebbles in the two other sections. What did happen over time is the white granite became stained brown with the falling leaves, and the two colors became mixed. I have kept this pattern, but it does take a bit of work to keep it up, which I do not think most homeowners would undertake. Sticking to one color was the lesson that I took away with me from this experience.

   My next use of rocks as a mulch came in a shade garden. A large tree in a corner of my back yard prevented grass from growing well, so I began to plant shade loving plants, focusing in on groundcovers. They were growing, but still I tracked mud into the house when I went out to my shed after a rain. The corner was also quite dark. I decided on a pebble mix that was lighter in tone to brighten up the area. This spot happens to be where rain water flows through the backyard to the front, so the pebbles stayed in place.

    My next project was by some trees in the front yard. During a couple of storms, my front yard flooded, taking away the mulch. I went with the pebbles that I had used in the backyard, which worked great, but I realized the look was not to my liking. I found a bag of red lava rocks which helped set off the orange and blue flowers in the two different beds. This made me consider the use of color more when choosing rocks as mulch. Garden centers do carry options, but the better choice may be to go to a business that specializes in stones. Most of these places will provide bags for you to fill up, which are weighed. The other option is they way your vehicle, then they weigh it after you have loaded  the rocks.

    I am using a compost mulch on vegetable beds and on beds where the plants cover the ground. No point in using rocks when they cannot be seen, or where I want the benefits of compost. Rock mulches do reduce the need for weeding, but like any mulch, you will still have some weeds pop through. I have used landscaping fabric; however, I have found that I need to redo this fabric every few years. As for leaves falling on the rocks, I have not been too concerned in most of the areas. I sweep or rake when needed. The only problem spot is the front courtyard. Sweeping and raking helps to mix the rocks, and the white granite stones do stain. We put a new coating of white stones on top of the old.

From a Houston garden to the table - A site dedicated to gardening and cooking in Houston.