Bamboos & Grasses 








Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Holochrysa'
This is one of our favourite bamboos. It is also clump forming; however, it grows less tall than most other of our bamboos. It has beautiful gold culms and smaller leaves, which cause the gracefully arching canes to stand out individually.  

Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Holochrysa' 
These compacted or distorted nodes are the most distinctive feature of this bamboo. 
Despite the plant name, the stems are green in the shade and will only turn golden (aurea) if grown in full sun. The erect culms have distinctive swellings at the base. To date growth of this bamboo in our garden has been not extended beyond the clump!

Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis' 
This bamboo is very upright, graceful and a delight to see when there is a breeze. It has large diameter culms which are gold coloured when grown in full sun. The culms are also striped erratically and spectacularly with green, making this one of the most impressive of all hardy bamboo. It can grow to around 8m (25ft); however, these culms are around 5m (16ft) in height. It has large green leaves that contrast superbly with the thick vivid-yellow canes. One of our most popular bamboos.

Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra)
One of the most stately and beautiful bamboos. 

The culms are tall, slender and arching. With age and prolonged exposure to sunlight, they turn intensely glossy black, resembling polished ebony there is more need with this bamboo than most, to remove weaker and thinner stems. However we do find it somewhat more invasive than most of our other bamboos and certainly the roots seem to go deeper than others. 

Therefore, although we do not use root barriers, we would advise that for most gardens it would be best to use a fairly deep root barrier for this very elegant and exotic looking plant.

Phyllostachys Shanghai 

It was said to be Phyllostachys 'Shanghai' but 'Shanghai' grows huge and our bamboo has not done this.....so far! However, we agree that is one of our more rampant growers and so we reduce the clump in size every two years with our 'bamboo busting tools'! 

"Bamboo taming tools"

With the right tools it is relatively easy to split up bamboos if they are getting too large or if there is an occasional 'runner' that needs to be removed. We found the key tool was the tall one in the middle - this tool is very heavy and is really designed for breaking up concrete. Essentially it is like a long heavy iron crowbar with a chisel cutting edge at the lower end. This one weighs 7.5kg (17lbs) The other tools are a tree spade/drain spade and a small saw; however, most of the work is done by the first tool that we described.

Phyllostachys bambusoides 'All Gold' ('Holochrysa')

Phyllostachys bambusoides 'All Gold' ('Holochrysa')

Glorious sunshine continues 2010 April 17th. On the right Phyllostachys bambusoides 'All Gold' ('Holochrysa')

Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra)

Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra)

Early spring jungle (April 16)

Semiarundinaria yashadake 'Kimmei'. This bamboo has lovely variegation, is clump forming and has quite slender culms.

Semiarundinaria Yashadake 'Kimme'. This bamboo has lovely variegation, is clump forming and has quite slender culms.

Colour begins in the pagoda garden. In the fourground Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'

Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'

Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis' in winter.

Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis' which has an occasional random green stripe.

New bamboo culm of Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'.

Winter sunshine in the pagoda garden. 
 Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'.

Spring in the pagoda garden. 
 Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'.

2010 February 21st - daily snow... 
early spring will have to wait! 
 Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'.

Autumn colours of the middle garden (November 6th). Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'.

Late spring harmony. Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'.

Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Aureocaulis' (in centre of view). This bamboo is very upright, graceful and a delight to see when there is a breeze.

Autumn Phyllostachys aureosulcata "Aureocaulis" Yellow Stem Bamboo (in centre of view). This bamboo is very upright, graceful and a delight to see when there is a breeze.  

Early morning in the middle garden (spring)

Early spring sunrise in the Pagoda garden. 
Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Aureocaulis'

Middle Garden Summer. 
 Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Aureocaulis'

Pleioblastus viridistriatus or 'Dwarf Green Stripe' is an excellent 'bush' bamboo rarely reaching more than 3 feet in height. The leaves are bright yellow with random avocado green stripes.

Fargesia 'rufa'. It does not look very exciting but it is lovely low level foliage in the jungle area.

Hibanobambusa tranquillans 'Shiroshima' - bamboo. The leaves are stunningly variegated wide cream linear markings.

Phyllostachys aurea Golden Bamboo, Fishpole Bamboo, Bambusa Aurea.

Autumn colours in the middle garden at dawn 
(2009 October 23) .

New bamboo shoot - Phyllostachys aurea Golden Bamboo, Fishpole Bamboo.

Autumn mist in the middle garden. Phyllostachys Shanghai

July lilies (middle garden). Phyllostachys Shanghai

Lilies along the jungle path

Pagoda garden water cascade at sundown. The black 'grass' is Ophiopogon planiscapus 'nigrescens' (Black Lilyturf, Black Mondo, Black Dragon, Ebony Knight, Arabicus).

Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' after rain.

Stream and perennials lower garden mid August. Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' - Variegated Maiden Grass in mid picture.

Stream lower garden (May). Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus' - Variegated Maiden Grass in the foreground.
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