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Ornamental Bamboos And Grasses |
 As we have already seen, the range of attractive water and
waterside plants is very wide and even the non-flowering
subjects can produce striking foliage effects. In order to
obtain a natural informal, yet artistic outline when planting
a water garden, no plants are more essential than the bamboos
and ornamental grasses. All too often, bamboos are regarded
as only suitable for growing in hot places, but although it is
true that the majority come from tropical and semi-tropical
regions, there are many which will flourish in our gardens.
All are useful and elegant, and properly placed, their slender
upright habit makes a pleasing contrast with the bigger-leaved
plants and trees around them. As with all such decorative
subjects, a lot depends upon the background if the finest effects
are to be found. This is why the presence of some larger-
growing plants or ornamental trees or shrubs is a great asset,
not only for setting off the bamboos but in order to provide
a wind-break.
Bamboos like a good deep, moist, peaty loam, and if a top
dressing of leaves and manure is given in the autumn, it will
provide both feeding and good protection from severe frosts.
It usually takes at least two years for the plants to become
established, but once they find a site to their liking and become
really settled, they only need keeping within bounds of the site
allotted to them. It is not difficult to do this and with many
species, the strong suckers or basal shoots can be pulled off as
they appear. Some species form tufts, rather than suckers and
these spread much more slowly, since they make dense rather
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Ornamental Bamboos and Grasses
than spreading growth. For this reason, they are more suit-
able for the smaller garden than are the spreading types.
By planting species having stoloniferous roots in cement
basins filled with good compost, they can be kept to a confined
space. The alternative is to lift and divide the roots according
to the growth made. This means that species with creeping
roots will need more attention in this direction.
Generally speaking, the species which are of spreading habit
and produce runners in plenty are most suitable where there
is plenty of room, such as in woodland places and wild gardens.
It is the dwarf-growing species with their slender stems and
attractive leaves which are so very desirable for decorating the
banks of ponds and pools. Nothing is more harmful to bam-
boos than a continuously wet and cold soil during the winter.
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