Bamboo for Gardens

Book Description

Bamboos evoke an exotic atmosphere wherever they are used — unfortunately, they are too often kept out of our gardens for fear of their invasive qualities or lack of hardiness. In truth, these elegant grasses, encompassing both woody and herbaceous forms, can achieve dramatic yet restrained effects in a range of climates. Their uses include both the ornamental, offering striking foliage and culms, and the practical, such as for screening or erosion control, not to mention the culinary treat of bamboo shoots and the structural qualities of the culm wood. Tropical and subtropical bamboos present many possibilities for landscapes in warmer climates, while the hardier species can be grown as far north as Minnesota in the United States and in the cooler climes of England and continental Europe. Bamboo culture has a long and distinguished legacy in East Asia, but much remains to be explored by Western gardeners and landscapers.

Bamboo expert Ted Jordan Meredith provides a thorough and multifaceted treatment of these ancient grasses, covering origins and history, structure and form, cultivation and propagation, landscaping, and taxonomy and identification. He offers insight into selecting the right plant for the right situation, and presents useful advice on the best methods for containing or eradicating potentially invasive forms. The bulk of the book is an encyclopedia of bamboo genera, species, and cultivars. More than 300 bamboos from 40 different genera are described in detail, including information on size, lighting and temperature requirements, native range, physical characteristics, and landscape and other uses. Meredith's excellent color photos and clear line drawings effectively illustrate both the details and broader effects of these exquisite plants.

Customer Reviews:

simply the best book available on bamboo.......2007-07-12

Since I became interested in growing bamboo several years ago, I have reviewed every book I could find on the subject. None compare with Mr. Meredith's book. It is very conprehensive, easy and interesting to read, and the only book one needs on the subject whether he/she is a novice who wants to grow a few plants in the backyard, or a person who has a historical or scientific interest in bamboo. It also has many full color photos and illustrations.

In summary, it is a complete, easy to understand and interesting book on the subject of bamboo. One could not ask for more on the subject.

The Bible of Bamboo Cultivation.......2006-10-23

I am a bamboo grower and member of the Northern California Chapter of the American Bamboo Society. I have praised Meredith's book in two articles for the ABS magazine BAMBOO so I might as well do so here. It is really the bible of bamboo cultivation, answering every question-- well just about! As every bamboo grower knows, problems often arise for which one is unprepared-- for instance this season I found slugs living inside my bamboos and eating them from within! But Ted is available to respond to such questions, although he may not thank me for saying so here-- try contacting him first through his publisher. One thing I really like about him is that he is not, in contrast to some bamboo growers who think they know one's own environment better than one knows it oneself, dogmatic. He is very open-minded and thoughtful, listening carefully to what one says and responding in a balanced fashion. However, I must say that his book is not exactly a good guide to the first-time bamboo grower. There are so many facts that one tends to read it and then forget them until one runs into problems later. It is best kept as a reference book, although I highly recommend looking through his discussion of the various species before one decides to buy a bamboo. This is a book for serious bamboo growers, not people who think of bamboo as a mere hedge around their yard, but those who seek a gorgeous centerpiece to their garden which may eventually grow to be seventy feet tall with stalks which are several inches in diameter.

Great book.......2006-03-27

This is a great book for people considering bamboo gardening. Practical advice and useful information.

Great book.......2005-09-01

This book has great, crisp, clear, modern looking pictures that are excellent. It is a good book for taxonomy and identification, but has almost nothing about construction techniques, projects to make, etc. Definitely worth the price, but if you are looking to make things from bamboo, this is not the book for you.

EXCELLENT BAMBOO BOOK.......2005-05-26

This is an excellent book on bamboo. It is detailed and thorough. It is ten times better than "The Temperate Guide to Growing Bamboos" by Bell, which is just an awful book on the subject. This book is the opposite. Worth every penny and will be a valuable resource for me throughout the years ahead. The author covers just about every aspect of growing bamboo, botony of bamboo and harvesting bamboo. It didn't get 5 stars because it lacks more study on container plants, but where it did lack it more than made up for it in other areas. A great book that is a must have. You should definitely buy this book. If you buy any book on bamboo, you should make this a definite buy. You won't regret it.

Bamboo: A Material for Landscape and Garden Design

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Bamboo: A Material for Landscape and Garden Design
Jan Oprins , and Harry van Trier
Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Basel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

ASIN: 3764374810

Book Description

Bamboo and its many varieties are becoming ever more popular as a design material for landscapes, squares, and gardens. With its widely varying hardiness, height, and leaf structure, the grass can be cultivated under many different conditions, and because of its special physical characteristics it can also be used as a material in related domains such as architecture, furniture design, and flower arrangement.

The extensive technical section of the book describes the properties and habitat requirements of the plant, the breeding of varieties, and the methods of propagation. It then goes on to explore its use and significance in urban and natural settings. Authors with technical expertise in the relevant fields, including the director of the Oprins bamboo tree nursery, and striking color illustrations convey exhaustive technical and botanical information and examples of the creative use of bamboo, especially in urban and natural settings.

Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet

Average customer rating:

Transform Your Home into a Peaceful Sanctuary
Detox Your Life
Declutter, paint and detoxify
Life-changing ideas
Fantastic book with tons of information

Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet
Norma Lehmeier-Hartie
Manufacturer: Lingham Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Herbal Remedies | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Healthy Living | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0977963306
Release Date: 2007-01-01

Product Description

Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, by Norma Lehmeier Hartie, is an indispensable reference book for anyone who cares about their health and well being and for the future of the planet. Hartie concisely covers a wide range of subjects and includes a comprehensive listing of advisory organizations, product and service resources. Part I of the book, Banish the Ugly from Your Life, is a blueprint for green, sustainable living. Discover how to replace toxic and unsustainable products from household cleaners to food (including recipes) to furniture to personal care products with safe, eco-friendly ones. Hartie is the tough but motivational Life Coach in her approach to cleaning, removing clutter and on organizing the home or office. Part II, Bring in the Beautiful to Create a Harmonious Environment and Self, includes a chapter on Earth-based spirituality and a fascinating look at the Four Elements (Earth, Fire, Air and Water) and the Medicine Wheel. The core of Hartie s philosophy blossoms in Chapter Seven, Applying Harmonious AdjustmentsTM: Using Feng Shui and Other Techniques for Powerful Results. Unlike other Feng Shui authors, Hartie has experience as a designer and her skills are apparent in this chapter and the following two. She has combined principles of Feng Shui, the Four Elements, color, energy, Vastu, and good design principles that create a unique and eclectic approach to home decorating. Finally, Hartie provides guidance on how to manifest personal or professional desires. In Part III, Putting the Pieces Together, Hartie skillfully integrates the many subjects of the book into a unified and cohesive whole. At its cover price of $19.95, Harmonious Environment is a value alone for the comprehensive green living product suppliers in the Resources section. What makes this book so truly ambitious, however, is what lies beneath the surface. In a sense, this book is only marginal

Customer Reviews:

Transform Your Home into a Peaceful Sanctuary.......2007-04-10

"The energy from flowers is so bright and strong that they can be put anywhere in the home and they will enhance your life." ~ pg. 217

Norma Lehmeier Hartie is a design consultant and Harmonious Adjustment practitioner who enjoys gardening and cooking. She created the practice of Harmonious Adjustments to give her clients the chance to reconnect with nature and to manifest their personal and professional dreams. Through her book she introduces ideas for detoxing and decluttering your home environment.

If you want a happier, healthier lifestyle that is more in harmony with nature, then Norma Lehmeier Hartie's book has a world of information to make this possible. She can help you:

Remove toxic products from your home and garage
Clean and organize your home
Buy environmentally friendly cleaning products
Organize your home for more peace and harmony
Find healthy personal care products
Grow plants that help to control pollution - A list of the Fifty Best Houseplants
Find the best choices in flooring
Figure out how to recycle larger items like a refrigerator
Cook more safely and use kitchen scraps for your garden
Formulate a plan to keep your house clean
Organize every room in the house
Decorate with Confidence

Reading through the list of harmful products gives you an idea of the ingredients to avoid in cleaners and how they can affect your health. For an antibacterial spray, the author suggests water and essential oils and for cleaning silver she also suggests more natural solutions like baking soda and vinegar. Using Borax and water is less dangerous than chlorine bleach fumes and you may want to try this in your shower. You may enjoy products by Seventh Generation.

Chapter three felt a little out of my personal range of expertise, although we know that thoughts can affect our environment and life and can move our life in a positive or negative direction. This chapter deals more with spiritual practices. Chapter 6 also delves into a deeper connection with nature, personality types and elemental powers. The list of Yin and Yang is helpful to create a balance of the two in your home. An entire chapter is also dedicated to plants, gemstones and crystals.

"If you are the average American woman, you expose yourself to over two hundred synthetic chemicals that are found in the products you use as you prepare yourself for the day. These products do not simply sit on your skin; approximately sixty percent of these ingredients get absorbed into your bloodstream." ~ pg. 91

Chapter four is especially informative and essential if you are trying to be healthier and want to find organic alternatives to products filled with synthetic chemicals. Why should you avoid petroleum and talc? Why is there lead in hair dye?

The section on an Eco-Friendly Kitchen is interesting and the chapter on natural and organic foods also gives ideas on how to save time in the kitchen. A few recipes are included:

Vegetarian Pasta Primavera
Fajitas
Risotto with Scallops or Shrimp
Lemon Rice
Grilled Vegetables

An extensive list of resources and a very handy index complete this well-researched and extremely helpful book. If you enjoy Feng Shui or decorating and organizing your home, there is a lot to enjoy and you may find the information in this book can also help with fatigue, anxiety and sleeping problems.

~The Rebecca Review

Detox Your Life.......2007-04-04

No matter what your goals are, this book has the starting point for you. Learn how to make your life less toxic and get a better relationship with Mother Earth.

Declutter, paint and detoxify.......2007-04-02

Using the principles of Feng Shui, you can create a harmonious home environment with this book as a guide.

Author Lehmeier-Hartie has you choose colors, elements and design based on your birthday. If you suffer from problems feeling disorganized or headachey at home, it could be your home is not organized properly or the flow of energy is impeded.

The author extends this tranquility to finding the right job and the right mate. Whether or not it is the alignment of elements in the home, focusing on clearing clutter in your life can only have positive effects. A very pretty book.

Life-changing ideas.......2007-02-02

Worried about what your family is being exposed to? Are you hoping to increase your wealth or find love this year? Trying to decide on the best color to paint your walls? If you answered "yes!" to any of these questions, then Harmonious Environment is a must read.

The goal of this book is to create positive energy both in your home and your life and to be kinder to the earth. Hertie is a design consultant, chef, gardener, and healer. She shares her professional and personal experiences with the readers, i.e., homemade earth-friendly cleaning products, tasty recipes for carnivores and vegetarians, etc. She recommends that after reading this book, you apply the process in the following order:

1. Remove toxic products from your home and garage
2. Clean, declutter, clear and organize your home
3. Buy/use environmentally friendly products
4. Learn how to use place objects (furniture, mirrors, etc.) to manifest change in your life

The relationship between people and the Earth is an important part of Harmonious Environments. To remind ourselves of this interconnection, Hertie recommends bringing the natural world into your home. Some ways to do this include displaying rocks and minerals and using houseplants as pollution busters.

Hertie uses Harmonious Adjustments (TM) that combines "the best principles of Feng Shui, the application of the Four Elements based on your birth date, color, Vastu, energy work and good design." I've read a few Feng Shui books in the past, but the author's clear instructions and enthusiasm has given me the confidence to actually try this at home.

I liked how the author reminded me to use this book as a guideline but to also trust my intuition. Do what looks and feels right for you. I also liked how the Resource section listed all the suppliers, organizations and further readings mentioned throughout the book.

Even if you aren't interested in Feng Shui, this book has valuable information about becoming an informed consumer and living a more eco-friendly life.

Armchair Interviews says read Harmonious Environment and get ready to change your life!

Fantastic book with tons of information.......2007-01-18

I got this wonderful book as we are moving our place of business, and wanted to make smart choices. From the first page, Ms. Lehmeier-Hartie shares her expertise in an organized, thoughtful way. The day after I got the book, I negotiated a much more logical and healthier ventilation system, and the section on colors was far and away the most organized and logical explanation I have ever seen.

Some aspects of our project are beyond our control, but I became a much more active participant. We anxiously await our new space, and know that the suggestions made here will add to the beauty and functionality of our space. I wish I could have rated this 10 stars!

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Handy bamboo bible
THIS IS THE BOOK I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!
Beautifully Illustrated book on building bamboo fences

Building Bamboo Fences
Isao Yoshikawa
Manufacturer: Japan Publications Trading
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japanese Gardens | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Landscape | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Outdoor & Recreational Areas | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Do-It-Yourself | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 4889960805

Book Description

Eleven prominent styles of bamboo fence are presented, giving a basic understanding of the art form, with detailed building instructions and design ideas for each.

Customer Reviews:

Handy bamboo bible.......2006-11-07

This is a Great book for bamboo lovers. Especially if you have access to the waste branches .I can't wait to do more with those! The more ideas here you try....the more the fever grips you.....Possiblities endless!
Lots of pictures with great informative diagrams, inspiratinal ideas and plans as well as info on how to harvest and preserve poles. I like to fire harden....but watch out for explosions!
One of the 2 best bamboo books I have seen. The other one is in Spanish

THIS IS THE BOOK I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!.......2000-04-17

"Building Bamboo Fences" has all the information you will need to build your own bamboo fence. Additionally, Mr. Yoshida has included a brief history of bamboo fences in Japan, a complete glossary of terms and many beautiful color photographs for inspiration. Fence diagrams range from simple see-through fences to more complex bamboo screening fences. The diagrams, techniques, and instructions for building different types of bamboo fences are clear, complete, easy to follow and even include tips on how to correct any problems you may have in construction. I turned an open work bamboo fence diagram into a trellis for my climbing rose bush in one afternoon. Whether you are looking to build simple edgings for garden paths or a full-screen fence - this is the book to use.

Beautifully Illustrated book on building bamboo fences.......2000-01-12

"Building Bamboo Fences" is beautifully illustrated with 31 pages of full color pictures and a fairly decent how to section about how to build them. One thing I do not like though is the books organization. There is a section of pictures and a section on history and a section illustrating construction technique. The book would be much more readable if these sections were mixed (i.e. the color pictures should be near the relivant history and how to illustrations. There needs to be a section discussing the different varieties and how and where to grow them. Bamboo grows nearly anywhere in the US, but tropical varieties are more rot resistant. There also needs to be a section on tools. Thin bladed knives are useless to split bamboo, but you would not get this from reading the book. And, where do you get tools and bamboo cultivars? It is not in the book...

The Craft & Art of Bamboo: Projects for Home and Garden

Average customer rating:

Good intro to what you can do with bamboo
Drywall screws and cuteness
Excellent bamboo craft book!
I returned it
The Craft & Art of Bamboo

The Craft & Art of Bamboo: Projects for Home and Garden
Carol Stangler
Manufacturer: Lark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1579903754

Book Description

“Stangler expresses [the] virtues and properties of this grass-family member, then lays out in detail instructions for 30 projects. The book’s mood is at one with nature: a loose flowing text around color photographs, black-and-white illustrations, step-by-step how-tos, and boxed commentaries.”—Booklist. “Should be welcome in all garden and crafts collections.”—Library Journal.

Customer Reviews:

Good intro to what you can do with bamboo.......2006-03-12

I took this book out of the library purely out of curiousity. We're doing a lot of home improvements, and our once-indoor pot of bamboo got big enough that it had to be moved into the atrium. Since bamboo is a renewable resource... hey, how could we put it all to use?

The Craft & Art of Bamboo is subtitled "30 elegant projects to make for home and garden" but it provides a little more than I expected. If you haven't worked with bamboo before (and I certainly haven't), two of it chapters (harvesting, purchasing and preparing bamboo; and tools, materials, and techniques) probably make this worth the purchase price.

Most of the projects are small scale, geared for beginners who just want to complete something in a weekend -- a bamboo doormat, sushi trays, teppo screen -- though there are a few big projects, such as coffee tables and fences. If you're a purist, you'll be offended by the author's use of drywall screws rather than cordage, but he does talk quite a bit about lashing and show the traditional ties, complete with illustrations and a photo of the result.

If I were serious about "woodworking" with bamboo, this probably wouldn't be the only book I acquired. Because of the tools and materials section, it would, however, be one I'd enjoy having in my library.

Drywall screws and cuteness.......2003-07-09

This is a "craft" book, in the debased modern American meaning of "craft", i.e. useless, shoddy trinkets. All joinery is with drywall screws -- yes you read correctly -- because tying knots made the author's hands sore. Couple thousand years of artistic and technical development down the tubes, just like that. One "project" requires no drywall screws, because it consists of splitting canes to make stakes, which you can then write "carrots" or "phlox" with a marker, and jam the stake in the ground, so you don't forget what you planted. If you need a book to tell you this you're such a dork no book can help! Craft and art, my eye. There is advice like this: "Multi-paneled fences, as described in this book, are built on site. Single panel screens can be constructed off-site and then installed." What does this mean? That you can build one panel, but no more than one, off-site? Gee whiz, good thing they told me, I built all the panels in my shop but then I got the book and had to burn all but one and rebuild the rest "onsite", cuz the book said so, duh. Why is slop like this even written? To take up room so as to disguise what it lacks. Bamboo technology has gigantic dimensions -- technical, historical, and aesthetic -- which I dearly hoped to see, but this is a "craft" book, i.e. the premium is on easily constructed novelties, just like most of our material culture. Drywall screws, what an insult.

Excellent bamboo craft book!.......2003-01-08

I was given an entire truck load of bamboo and had no clue what to do with it. This book really gave me some great project ideas! Has projects for large and small bamboo... I definitely recommend this book!

I returned it.......2003-01-04

This may be the only book I ever returned. There are plenty of projects in the book, but I found only one, an occasional table, attractive enough to even consider building (well, there was a coffee table that was OK too). I really like Asian furniture and thought there might be some nice plans in this vein (it is a bamboo book!), but there aren't. I was a little disappointed.

The information on cutting, bending, and flattening bamboo is worthwhile, but I bet it was only 20 pages or so; the the rest of the book is dedicated the various projects, many of them garden/outdoors.

Overall a decent book if you've never worked with bamboo - it'll get you started - but try to leaf through it beforehand to check out the projects if you're looking for furniture plans.

The Craft & Art of Bamboo.......2001-11-06

Anyone who is interested in bamboo will want The Craft & Art of Bamboo by Carol Stangler readily at hand! She looked North and South, East and West for her resources and inspirations. And she knew who to include, some of the greats in the field of working with bamboo -- among them, David Flanagan (the Bamboo Fencer), Yucatan Bamboo, and Doug Lingen and Reed Hamilton of the Bamboosmiths. The reader may not need or be attracted to each project (with 30 in all, she offers a BIG range to choose from!), but there is a great deal of information to be gleaned from each one. The chapters on harvesting and tools alone are sufficiently full of information to make the very reasonable purchase price worthwhile. This would be a great gift, for yourself or for any woodworker-crafter.

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Bamboo and Baskets in Cross Stitch
Needlework Originals Staff
Manufacturer: Needlework Originals
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PJ89V8

Product Description

The book contains 22 designs and 2 alphabets charted in easy to read form. Instructions are provided on working with baskets, basket weave, and bamboo. Designs include grapes, butterfly, flowers, musical note, fish, shell, tape measure, lily pads and butterflies, wreath, Chinese junk, ice cream sundae, Delft windmill, and more.

Bamboo Baskets: Japanese Art & Culture Interwoven With the Beauty of Ikebana

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Baskets and Culture in One!

Bamboo Baskets: Japanese Art & Culture Interwoven With the Beauty of Ikebana
Maggie Oster
Manufacturer: Diane Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0788154559

Product Description

Shows the art & craft of the bamboo basket & its companion arts -- Ikebana (flower arranging) & the tea ceremony. Since World War II, there has been limited access to information about Japanese bamboo baskets. Discusses the Japanese philosophy of art & traces it as related to bamboo as a raw material, to Ikebana, to the tea ceremony, & to the tokonoma, an alcove in traditional Japanese rooms where flower arrangements are displayed. Discusses selection & preparation of raw bamboo; basket styles, shapes & wrapping techniques; & where to obtain fine baskets & how to care for them. Introduction by Marilyn Marinaccio.

Customer Reviews:

Baskets and Culture in One!.......2000-07-09

From the cover on, this is a real value. Just starting to collect bamboo baskets, I found this very helpful. The color photographs are great! The basket descriptions are enhanced with Japanese culture explainations. My appreciation for the Japanese culture was enhanced.

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The Bamboo Garden
A. B. Freeman-Mitford
Manufacturer: Macmillan and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VA9IXE

Average customer rating:

The bamboo garden,
Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford Redesdale
Manufacturer: Macmillian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008606J6

Chinese Flower and Fruit Prints from the Mustard Seed Garden and and the Ten Bamboo Studios

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Chinese Flower and Fruit Prints from the Mustard Seed Garden and and the Ten Bamboo Studios
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Manufacturer: American Studio Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JK7D88

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