Concrete wall screening advice and bamboos

pleuraXeraphim

Hi

I have 3 phyllostachys aureas (bamboo golden).
In the second photo below do you think that would be too close to plant them? How wide are they likely to grow in an Irish climate. Or will they just thicken as they are and grow mainly upwards ?

Also I was wondering if I could take the potted one and split out each cane and plant them separately and end up with thick clusters ? This was done in the following project but it was in the sates where the climate would be warmer.
http://www.bamboogardensla.com/photocatalog/beforeafter.html

I am trying to cover the ugly concrete wall (as in the first pic) as quickly as possible so was thinking that bamboo was the best option. Hence was hoping to split the bamboo up a bit and save some money. Any other suggestions ?

Also any ideas for a nice feature tree that grows up rather than outwards (possibly evergreen)?

Thanks for any advice.

pwurple

Phyllostachys aureas grow fine here, and that's a sheltered garden. Yes, you can split the bamboo. They are pretty vigourous in the right conditions anyway, so they should grow fairly quickly for you.

Where is the tree for? Along the wall as well, or somewhere else? Laburnum vossii would be yellow flowered to go with your golden bamboo, and it is a small tree, suitable for this size garden. It's not evergreen though.

Sonnenblumen

OP I wouldn't agree with your assessment of the wall being ugly and certainly wouldn't agree either of planting bamboo directly inoy6t the ground without adequate root barrier otherwise you can expect trouble even with 'clumping' bamboo.

I have a lot of experience with bamboo planting and you relly need to take caution with the variety you have. there are other smaller growing clumpig alternatives. I would re-think planting bamboo without root barrier, you will damage your lawn which also looks a little under the weather?

I would suggest you plant some more mid size shrubs and if keep your eyes open for specimens with strong leaders you can train and develop the shrub to grow like a dwarf tree by regularly removing all but 2-3 strong upward growing shoots. Some examples that are easily trained include bay laurel, viburnum, photinia, prunus lusitanica, pittoporum, mahonia and cotoneaster conubria or better still go for the natural weeping version cotoneaster pendulus. The list is almost endless and this would provide lots of low cost DIY topiary alternatives to the usual more expensive nursery produced specimens.

IMO Laburnum is a dull and very broad growing tree, yes spectacular for 3 weeks or so but very dull for rest of summer and no leaf in winter. Do remember all aspects of the tree are very toxic, leaf, flower etc.

pwurple

Sonnenblumen is right on how vigourous the bamboo is, and I should have said the laburnum is poisonous. Only if eaten though . My child hasn't taken a fancy to them yet. I have to disagree on the dullness. I have three of them, and they flower a good bit longer than 3 weeks. the caveat of course is that the area is sheltered. I have had easily 12 - to 16 weeks of flowers, and the autumn colour is a really striking chartreuse / yellow. I have some cherry blossoms in the same kind of situation and their flowering time is a good bit shorter. Perhaps you mean the other varieties of laburnum, vossii is a very good flowerer.

Anyway, a mixed border would be very good there, and if you don't like the wall, maybe paint it?

Google courtyard gardens too for ideas for planting inside walls. I love walls, built a few extra to create garden-rooms.

pleuraXeraphim

Its so confusing with regards to the Golden Bamboo. A lot of garden centers had advertised it as non invasive despite it being a runner. I guess this may be down to the climate here maybe. At this stage I have planted 2 clumps of them last August and have one more to plant now as you can see in photo. The garden has been a huge amount of work the past while and that section of the garden is so hard to dig down. Its very compacted and would be next to impossible to dig down 2/3 feet and put in a barrier. Should I dig them up altogether ?

The wall itself is a pre-cast concrete wall which is ugly as hell It actually runs further around the garden which is not visible in the photos. On other side of the garden I have planted Red Robins and some laurels which will break up that wall. It is so difficult to drill into and very few plants can be trained to grow up the side of it as i cant get enough trellis on to it. Also the soil quality on that side of the garden where I am planting the bamboo is poor. That was where I thought the bamboo might give me a great green screen all the way along.

I googled the courtyard gardens with google images and it depressed me Where would I even start to get something as nice as those. Would any of them even work.

I had thought about building a raised bed along that wall with a nice dry stone wall which would make the concrete wall seem smaller. Costly though.

Thanks for your suggestions.

pwurple

I am sorry you were depressed, as you have a lovely space there. My first garden was about half that size and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Not much grass to cut, great shelter, really good spot for bbqs. if the soil isn't great, that can be improved. You are doing really well so far. Take small steps and don't put so much pressure on. Gardening doesn't happen overnight, it's a lifetime. Walls are a great asset, you can grown things up the, they protect from wind and cold, and give excellent privacy.

Consider some mirrors maybe behind your bamboo and imbedded behind other plants. Nthing expensive, try salvage yards, or use broken ones. They can give a feeling of depth to a garden with walls.