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ditas_gw

Anyone else growing Bamboo in our zone?

ditas
14 years ago

Hello - I posted this in our Iowa Forum ... perhaps posting here, I might get more feed-back & in-put. Many thanks!!! Â;)

Goodmorning all - Other than *lkz5ia z5 west iowa* ('hope you don't mind mentioning you here) are there anyone else, successfully & beautifully growing a hardy Bamboo? In search of yet another interesting shrub, lkz5ia's posted pic ... it got me searching!!! Â;) I have prepared a site for another shrub as a memorial plant for a brother, I just very recently lost.

For as long as we have lived in this piece of soil, we love (3.5+ decades ago) I have been planting (often w/o rhyme or rhythm ... simply for love of dirt digging, foliage & flowers) to honor, remember or memorialize - loved ones, near & far! *My Piece of Soil Under Iowa Sky*... I liken to a grandma's quilt ... now more like *Square-Inch-Gardening* or better yet, a jungle!!!

Along half of our 100'-E - back-fence-line (AM-sun exposure) I have planted 3 shrubs ... Snow Queen-Oakleaf H. Ivory Halo-Cornus Alba, (huge Plantagenia -dug up for dwarf Bamboo- or???) and Alice-Oakleaf H( all are family-memorial shrubs).

Your input will greatly help ... 1 nursery in-town, has Sunset Glow-Rufa at 50% Fall sale. The other small shrub I'm thinking of is Little Henry-Clethra (I think too small).

Many TIA

Comments (2)

  • ditas
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I posted this last week in the *Bamboo Forum* since I posted here, with hopes to learn from similar zone, gardeners ... I thought to post this update here, as well. Alan1 suggested to visit the sites I mentioned below ... 'thought would be helpful for those contemplating on acquiring some ... zone5 compatible Bamboos.

    to Alan 1, I responded to thank him, for his wise suggestion to visit Michigan Bamboo Co. as well as Needmore Bamboo Co. for more info, about Bamboo-growing in our more trying zones!

    Quoting Needmore: "The reality of Growing Bamboos in Zones 5 & 6" particularly ... I quote: "I've recently come to terms with my 'zonal denial' and I accept that most springs I may have to clear cut nearly all of the previous year's above ground growth".& "I live on the edge of zones 5b/6 and in an average winter the temperature will fall to at least -10F. At these temperatures nearly every species of my bamboo collection will likely suffer total leaf loss and in all most cases, total top kill of the culms." He also warns wanna-be or "new Bamboo growers" of other realities for at least 5 years!

    Reading through, I had to face the fact that at 72, I may not have the luxury of enjoyment, since I already have 12-16 high to near-high-maintenance, Garden Divas + a female Ginkgo tree to enslave to!!! Â:( ... I have several & love planting, remembrance/memorial plants that are meaningful & symbolic ... my baby brother lived in the Orient all his life ... what more beautiful & symbolic plant than a Bamboo, I thought!!! His name is Henry & July born, so my other choices are a *Clethra-Little Henry* or *Ivory Halo - Cornus Alba* red sticks in Winter (for July)!

    There were many encouraging Bamboo virtues ... "resiliency" particularly, but for the emotional/sentimental reasons in my search, for a meaningful & symbolic memorial plant, at this stage of my gardening life ... I'll have to forego, Bamboo! Sigh!!! Â:(

    FWIW ...
    Enjoy your successes w/ Bamboo plants & to all, Happy Holidays!!! Â;)

  • michael_in_chicago
    14 years ago

    I grow Fargesia nitida and Fargesia murialae in Evanston, a suburb just north of Chicago against the lake. They've been fine for years and are the hardiest clumpers, I think.

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