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What type of Bamboo??
Looking for a nice type of Bamboo or Fargesia to mask my neighbours garden.
Recently cut down around 5 Leylandi cypruses, and have done some decking at the back of the garden.
I intend to make a jungle type garden and have a few plants already, but need to mask where my neighbours fence is which is around 15 foot, so a bamboo or Fargesia would be ideal so the sun can still get through but is filtered? Any ideas
Gets sun for part of the day already have a Phyllostachys Spectacublis at the other end of the garden, which does really well.
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..I think it depends on how much you are prepared to spend, as bamboo plants that are already quite tall can be quite expensive from the garden centres, upwards of £30...
Phyllostachys Nigra would probably be your best bet. Fargesia Rufa is very nice, grown beautifully at Alnwick gardens in Northumberland where hedges of it billow and sway in the breezes, but it's rather slow to reach a good size for screening. Mine is 5 foot tall after 3 years...
while choosing best one you need to go with size.. You will find that many bamboo species can vary considerably in size depending on their growing conditions.
i would look for a clump forming bamboo, it may take abit longer to reach a good height, but will save you alot of headaches and digging it back out, there are loads of places on the internet to buy them.
Fargesia Nitida is one we've just gotten to do the same thing on a north-facing fence. Looking at the pictures online it should do the trick, and give a tropical feel to the end of the garden.
I'd go with any of the phyllostachys. Can often be picked up for bargainous prices at garden sections of DIY places - I've paid as little as £25 for one with a dozen stems, to about 8ft. If you ca get one that's bursting from its pot you're virtually guaranteed a few new (much taller) shoots as soon as you plant it. And its a clumper, not a runner, so you don't get the annoying thing where all the growth eiither emerges miles away or through your patio (really!) and has to be chopped of and thus wasted. I have various varieties, that currently go to 10-12ft tall or so. I just cut old stems out (with a hacksaw) to keep it airy and fine instead of the dense thicket it wants to be. Easy. Just keep it watered for its first year, put plenty of muck in the hole and you're away. Bx
This family of bamboos come in a wide range of coloured culms
(canes) including green, black, golden, yellow, yellow with green stripes etc...
Hi thanks for all your replies, sorry I forgot my log in password so couldn't get back on.
The Bamboo I already have is at a sunny part of the garden so get the sun most of the day, the back of the garden is more semi-shade so gets it part of the midday then again at the evening, so light levels would be less in the winter.
As 'Huntertony' replied about Fargesia, as they are compact and can withstand lower light levels, so I will look into Natida and as 'Salina' mentioned Rufa.
Can't really grow grasses as I need to mask the fence so are looking for something around 8ft so the neighbour doesn't look over all the time. As mentioned don't want to blanket it but have light filtering through so I can enjoy the sun.
Think Nigra would need more sun, but still open to other options.
Just on a quick note while I remember, bought two Phyllostachys Spectables (one with green stripe) about 8 -10 feet tall for £69.00 each from a local garden centre, and they do a few other varieties at a similar size. So instant impact plus they delivered free. So will be going there. The canes on them were about an inch thick, look lovely but, as mentioned in my previous blog, don't know if they can handle a more shaded situation.
I find the plain green and yellow stemmed phyllostachys actually prefer shade. Nigra does better in more light. The leaves of all are less likely to do that thing where the tips go dry when used in shade...