Buddha's Belly Bamboo

Many times people will ask whether or not you can grow bamboo in our desert gardens.  The answer is a hearty yes.  I know it's shocking to believe for some people, but it can grow here and loves intense sun.  These giants can get quite large so make sure you give them the sun, room, fertilizer, and water that they need.  About every season, I throw a little fertilizer around the base to get this plant a jump start for the summer. Bamboo is considered a grass and makes an excellent screen from neighbors and/or natural fence area.  What people don't tell you on the internet is how they will grow in Tucson......here's some useful info.

Buddha's Belly is the bamboo that I have on the property, BUT there are also many many other varieties that do well here.  Make sure you check the height and habits of these bamboo before you put them into the ground.  Is bamboo fun to grow?  Yes.  I love everything about it, but when I put it into the ground around different areas of the property, this is what I discovered.  Total shade will stunt the fast growth rate of bamboo.  Regular watering, once established, is important for the success of your bamboo.  Put this plant in full sunlight, but make sure it gets that weekly water during the summer.  I have mine on a drip system. The first year, you'll need to water often until it gets established.  During the first years in the ground, your bamboo won't grow as quickly as it does starting year 3 on your property.  I doubted that the bamboo would actually put any height on as it didn't do much 2 years ago.  Today it has tripled in height and looks amazing.  While it wasn't hurt during our severe freeze, several stalks bit the dust by doubling over.  Remember, with bamboo, if you trim the bamboo stalk or it dies at the tip(which is unusual except during a freeze), the bamboo on that particular stalk will stop putting on anymore height.  Bamboo in early spring goes through a "shedding period", but don't worry, new growth will appear and by May, the plant will be a robust emerald green. Shoots from the plant will come up anytime during the year to replace dead ones or just expand its territory.

You can see examples of bamboo all over Tucson, but you will have to look for them.  Most people use this plant in their backyard near a waterline.  Several hotels, one I'll be featuring in a week or so, uses bamboo all over the courtyard area. The Tucson Botanical Gardens also have several clumps growing with one large specimen in the Children's garden.  Tucson even has its own bamboo shop....titled the Bamboo Ranch.  I have a post on this place from last year...click on the link below for phone number and info.  http://gardeningandthespanishway-rohrerbot.blogspot.com/2010/11/bamboo-ranch.html

Taken last year at a local hotel in Tucson.  These clumps have been here for at 13 years.

Caring for bamboo is simple and makes a great addition to your landscape. Remember that there are two varieties of bamboo....clumping and running.  If you are lucky enough to have softer soil, do not plant the running variety or it will spread like wildfire!  Most of us have hard clay soil, but I still rather use the clumping variety to be on the safe side.   Buddha's Belly is a clumping variety.  Bamboo isn't for everyone and it will grow to great heights, but there is nothing like the sound of wind blowing through the culms during a monsoon storm.

My Buddha's Belly aren't this mature yet, but they are getting there.  This pic taken from Biomass Bamboo.  The bulging culm of this bamboo gives it the name.

The Bamboo Effect

About 9 months ago, I mentioned stopping at the Reid Park Zoo.  I was still learning how to blog at that time and didn't really understand the whole "take your pictures" thing as you post because it's way more fun and personal!  As I've gotten more into this project that I've started here at El Presidio and in my life, I've discovered that you need a good camera for photos and film.......and that you ALWAYS need to bring your camera everywhere you go.  I think around April or May I figured it out....and at that point, I hadn't a clue on how to find blogs to read as I was a virtual unknown....after all, this blog was initially for me and my documentation of what I do around the property in case anything ever happens to me down the road.....but it turned into something better.  I love reading people's work in their own lives and it has replaced my magazine reading almost completely for this online free garden subscription.....and it's not just located in Arizona....it's all over!!  So with a cup of coffee, comfy pj's, and my AM glasses I sit down to share and read my fellow blogger's adventures.....

The reason I started to write what I did was because back in March or April, I had gone to the Reid Park Zoo to examine several groves of bamboo, but I didn't take any pics nor was it a central topic because back then I didn't know how to break up postings into central themes like I do today or write run on sentences like I'm doing now:).  So I am going back today and to show you all through my camera lens what it is/was that I was talking about those many months ago.  This is the second part to the bamboo series.  The first part was posted back in October and titled the Bamboo Ranch.  This post will show others that bamboo can indeed be grown in the desert to a very successful height. It can also provide that privacy or tropical effect that  you are looking for in your own gardens.

When I first moved here, I thought it was all cacti and scrubby bushes with some citrus trees sprinkled in for fun.  Through my education and personal experiences, I see that a space or spaces can be transformed into anything you like provided you give the plants ample room to grow and also the proper growing conditions.  Bamboo is no exception.  It shouldn't be overdone as some people do.....but as a uniform screen or as an "island" amongst your other plants. It can be a show stopper.  Personally I love it mixed in with palm trees around a pool setting. 

Bamboo is a grass.  What does grass love?  SUN! and water and nitrogen.......those three ingredients together will create an incredible growth that will eventually become a giant amonst your garden plants.  Put the bamboo in shade and you'll see it grow much slower than its' friends in the sun.  I put mine around several areas of the property.....mostly being around the southern side. 

Around this time of year, the bamboo will not look as green as it normally does because it doesn't get as much sun.  Remember that bamboo will also shed its' leaves at some point.  Also remember that once you cut a bamboo stalk, it won't grow anymore....so don't cut stalks unless they are for some reason needing to be controlled.

What's fascinating about the Reid Park Zoo is that it is a self contained island amongst the not so attractive 22nd street.  So in the South American exhibit, pay attention to what the bamboo is doing.  One gets lost in the "jungle" as they look at the animals, but also pay attention at how the gardens are laid out.  The bamboo is effectively screening out the background noises from 22nd street.....even more interesting, the wind blows through the canes and creates a very serene feel.....yet meters away, nasty cars and loud obnoxious people are doing their thing on the sidewalk.  Now imagine a suburb property, like most people's properties in a larger city and what they could do to "privatize" their own gardens.....

From the Presidio Gardens, I can see our ugly neighborhood, but with strategic planning, our courtyard will block this unsightly stain from our memories and contain a whole other worldly feel inside our gates. Some of this is inspiration from my Amazon excursions and some of this inspiration comes from Reid Park Zoo in regards to "the bamboo effect."

I know, for most people, a zoo is where you see animals, but look at the gardens of the zoo that surround the cages and I think you'll be surprised at what you find....a lot of research and planning went into the grounds the zoo is on.  PS.  2 mystery roles of photos have shown up from my Peru trip in 2008.....I don't know what's on them, but I hope they contain some fantastic images.  Just a hint of what's on them...if I remember correctly....I was doing an experimental shot from on top of a cliff overlooking Lake Titicaca during breakfast one morning from the island of Taquille.....I hope the film hasn't deterioted.....again, before I had my own digital camera:(  Until next time, happy gardening!!

The Bamboo Ranch

Part 1 of a 2 Part Series on Bamboo

What would your garden look like if you just planted bamboo? Ever wonder the space it would create?  I asked myself this question last year as I began planting bamboo around the gardens.  I did a lot of research on bamboo and made the decision to plant Buddha's Belly Bamboo. It was a beautiful variety and today it grows and makes a bold statement in the garden.  I had heard of a home that fell in love with bamboo and were so passionate about this plant that they started growing it. People saw their garden and began asking where they could buy bamboo. And so began Tucson's very own Bamboo Ranch....  This place did not disappoint in the least. Their home is surrounded by a shroud of bamboo forest.  It had so many varieties of bamboo growing all over the property that it was hard to distinguish one from the other. However, the owners have everything you need to know about bamboo and will walk with you around their property to point things out.                         

Bring a list of questions before you go as the owners will go over a lot of information with you.  We were given a pad and paper to write down varieties of bamboo that we may be interested in purchasing.  Bamboo, by the way, is bigger than you can imagine.  There are smaller varieties, but even then, they are still pretty big.  In the picture above, you will see the difference between the running and clumping varieties. The left, the running bamboo, is more hollow while the right, or clumping variety, has a thicker culm.  The runners are great for areas that you don't care about or an area you want filled fast.  It can be invasive and most people think ALL bamboo is like this.  However, it is not.  I believe the majority of people in Tucson prefer the clumping varieties over the runners.  It was explained that because of our clay soil; it's not really all that invasive....but be warned:)

 Ever wonder what it would look like if you planted your garden with only bamboo?  Look here as the sun is blocked by this forest of green sticks.  I will say that bamboo encourages mosquitos to hang out longer in the fall.  If you plant bamboo, make sure you have the space.  It makes a great screen from the neighbors and during the summer it does require a little extra water.  However, if you have grey water, direct it to your patch of bamboo and see what a difference it will make:)

Tucson Botanical Gardens

Bamboo will rise to the occassion above your trees. It loves sun and I find it does better on the west side of our home. In shade, it will grow slowly.  The first year, your bamboo won't do much, but in your second year, you'll see it double in size. By the 3rd to 5th years, you will notice thicker culms.  It is considered a grass and should be fed twice a year with nitrogen.

A bridge over a wash creates a magical space. Your garden space can be transformed into a tropical wonderland.  People say that bamboo is not native to Tucson and they wouldn't be completely wrong except that there is a bamboo native to the Sonoran desert known as the Mexican Weeping Bamboo.

Bamboo galore!!  Generally a 5 gallon runs 40 bucks at Home Depot or Lowes. However, at the Bamboo Ranch, you'll find a large variety of bamboos that vary in prices according to the variety you buy.  Generally, for a healthy batch of bamboo in the 5 gallon, it'll run you anywhere between 50-65 dollars while the 15 gallon pots will run you around 120 dollars.  Now that I know this place is here, I'll be returning for more in spring:)

Check out the culms on these stalks!!  Notice how some bamboo are more erect while others bow.....something to consider.

You can have your own forest within 5 years:)  Just beware....once it's in the ground and established, it can be difficult to get rid of......

Notice the size against human comparisons.....

Netting is only needed on the very hot side of the home when they are getting established their first year.  Once established they can take the FULL sun. 

For more information on purchasing bamboo, contact 520-743-9879 or email at bambooranch@juno.com

If you are interested in visiting the Bamboo Ranch, you will need to set an appointment up with the owners.  It truly is an amazing place with over 100 varieties of bamboo. As they say in their advertisement, it's your southwest source for bamboo!! You can see that they love what they do....it truly was a great afternoon at "The Ranch"  Below are two websites.  One is for the bamboo ranch and the other was a link that shows you how tall bamboo can get.  Happy Gardening!!

http://www.bambooranch.net/

http://mrbamboo.com/

  

The Dreaded Vacation

Now the title sounds terrible....I know.  But for me, Mr. Gardnerman(El Jardinero), coming back from vacation is terrible!!! Sometimes I cry and sometimes I breathe a sigh of relief....and sometimes I go into emergency mode and stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning to revive everything from near death!  I'll feel guilty and have a difficult time at night falling asleep knowing that it was my fault for abandoning my babies.

And they are babies....every year, a new group of plants go into the ground and if they can make it through a hot Tucson summer, then we are business.  It is crucial they get the attention they need the first year.  Some people have the attitude that "If it dies, it dies...plant something else." I agree with this attitude, but there are some plants that are special....like the fig tree or peach tree or the persimmons that have all been loved and nurtured faithfully. And one week can spell DOOM! for these beloved plants.

Last year at this time, I lost my beautiful Chinese Elm tree.  I cried...I admit it...I cried.  No matter what you do sometimes, you can't always save a plant.  Of all my plants in this one garden, this tree was gorgeous....it grew fast and gave great shade....only 2 years old and cotton rot killed her.  It was hard to let go......the birds were upset because this fast growing  tree became home. So in her honor, I planted another chinese elm.  I couldn't give up on this plant.  It is 2 years old now and doing well, but not the same height of the other tree.  My point here is that some plants are worth protecting and if you collect plants, it is important to pay special attention to their individual needs. "Well that's way too much work!", some may say.....but not if you love working in the garden.  This year is the year of the fruit trees....and I have had great success with them in this heat....so I am hoping that when I come home, they will all be there to greet me:)

This week in the garden.  I haven't been writing too much about the maintenance of the garden because it's just general sweeping, raking, and watering.  However, some good news to report....the castor  plants have begun to seed. Some of you say..."Weed....tropical weed!!" I know I know.....for those of you who live in the tropical areas, this is a real stinky pest, but here it adds a lot of punch and color to the garden.  I collected a half bag of castor seeds from just 3 plants!!!  They have already paid for themselves.  In each pod, there are 3 seeds or beans.  I put them in the ziploc bag and will plant a few when I get back.  There are still many pods left on the plants.....but they are still pink....so there will be more pod breaking when I get back.  Make sure that you use gloves when touching them....as they will irritate the skin....it is a toxic plant.

I have some great neighbors who will take care of the place while I am gone. I spent a morning going over directions and felt terrible with all the little details.  However, she is a gardener and understands the needs of the plants:)

A couple of nights ago, I went out to the Arizona Inn Hotel for some drinks near the downtown of Tucson and took some pics of the landscape.  They had some wonderful old growth near their swimming pool. The pics are below and show several clumps of bamboo and palm trees.

Mexican Palms(note..clumped=awesome!)Clumping Bamboo

I will be going home to visit my family and friends in Wisconsin.  I lived along the beaches of Lake Michigan and will be visiting places such as Point Beach State Park, the Milwaukee Biodomes and Zoo, and other gardens in the cities of  Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Milwaukee and Green Bay. I'll be looking for design and different kinds of plants that "may" do well in our Tucson desert:) Stay tuned for more adventures in the garden:)

Finally, I found this music video dedicated to a mother who is an avid gardener. It is absolutely touching plus it inspires:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBN-CAhOYQ0