bamboo question

Hi ..
I'm as new-comer to the forum, and I'm not an experienced gardener. I'm hoping for some help with developing my skills.

First of all, I should say that our garden is more of a field, in that it's mainly grass surrounded by a thorn hedge with the odd tree and shrub here and there. We've organised some paving and decking around the house, but the rest is pretty much an open blank canvas. There's about 3/4 acre, I think.

First, I want to plant a screen to provide some shelter and privacy - hopefully for summer sitting out? The planting would be behind an open timber screen which forms the boundary to our decking. The area of planting would be about 4m in length and could be 1 - 2m in depth. The mature height would need to be a minimum of 2m. We live on the edge of the Peak District and can experience cold, windy winters. The soil is acid, and the sub-soil is clay - but we are on a slight slope so for most of the time the drainage is OK-ish. The roots of the plants will be shaded and sheltered by the raised deck and the timber screen provides some higher shelter on two sides.

I would like to use bamboo for this purpose (nice and bushy) but don't want to run into problems with the plants invading/getting under the decking. I know there are less invasive, hardy, clump-forming varieties (fargesia etc) and wonder whether these would be suited to the purpose. (I don't really want climbers on the screen as there is also a pergola which will have these).

Can anyone advise me please?

Also, I have a stone raised planter opposite the decking - I am wondering whether a clump of bamboo would work as a specimen here .. something 2 - 3m high would be about right with a spread of 1m+.

Again, I thought one of the Fargesia might work - the robusta, perhaps, as it's said to be very hardy - and, as a specimen, it will have to stand alone against the weather. It will have shade for part of the day from an out-building.

Any advice will be be welcome.
Thank you.

 

I am not an expert on bamboo but believe the best looking ones are not that hardy? I had a huge clump of bamboo...not sure which one but it grew to about 5ft and I have hundreds of canes from it! I live in a fairly reasionable (climatewise) part of Scotland and the bamboo was in a VERY sheltered spot. It didn't make a very good screen if that is what you are after. I hated it and had the devils own job to dig it all out..achieved eventually after 3 seasons! Unless you are intent on Bamboo maybe think about dogwoods/ willows or even. Pampas Grass all of which to my mind would be definately hardy enough and maybe achieve what you want quicker. If you were ever passing I could give you dozens of Pampas Grass, that's if you can dig them out!!

 

If you want a good screening bamboo which is NOT invasive then Nitida is one of the best and looks super
For your pot I would recommend one of the dwarfish types which can look very attractive .... Auricoma is a pretty plant
Have a look at some on my website at:
http://www.fujiyamagarden.com/page16d.html