A MORE "EXOTIC" BAMBOO IN MY GARDEN

If you know where to look, & how to look, the average person may be surprised to find how much bamboo is growing along the roads in America.  Of course, much of the "domestic" bamboo is a smaller, nondescript variety.  Most people who are aware of the plants, also just refer to it as "cain".

Many visitors to my  home have noted the large "cain" I am growing.  Sometime. I correct them.  Sometimes not.

Growing more than a dozen different varieties of bamboo, most of my bamboo plants would never be confused with the common "cain".  My plants are taller, larger & more colorful.  I am a "collector" of bamboo.

Several of my bamboo species would be considered "rare" &/or "exotic".  One of my bamboo plantings is Phyllostachys Bambusoides 'Tanakae". [As I always try to point out, very few rare bamboo species have "common names".  Such is the case with this bamboo.]

 This bamboo is noted for it's nice lime green color, flecked with blotches of a dark purple color.

 No two "culms" -- the name used for the above ground portion of the plant -- have the same pattern.  Some culms may be heavily patterned ... some not.

 My 'Tanakae' has been in the ground about four years now & is starting to form it's own grove of this species.

This is a RARE species of bamboo -- which means EXPENSIVE -- but, is a colorful addition to my bamboo garden.

OKAY .... SO I'M NOT EMERIL

 

Every year in August I travel to Florida to attend the NATIONAL REPTILE BREEDERS EXPO.  For the past dozen years or so, it has been held in Daytona Beach.  I always combine my trip with a visit with my Mother who lives in Florida.  Kind of a "Two-Fer" trip.

 

 

 The hotel I stay at is the Daytona Hilton - Ocean Walk. It's a very nice facility, with all the high-end amenities you might expect.  It's right on the beach, the rooms I get all have king size beds & the fitness facility is open 24 hours a day.

The buffet breakfast is great.  My stay at the Hilton is also the only time of  the year when I eat a BIG BREAKFAST, including items I "normally" do not eat; scrambled eggs/fried potatoes/HUGE biscuits ... along with sausage.  YUM !!

I very seldom eat out at restaurants or fast food places.  When I do eat out, it's usually with friends & we have Chinese or Tex-Mex food.  I like to cook at home & very seldom eat any kind of meat.  There is some chicken in my freezer, but I better check to see if there is any "freezer burn", since the packages have been in there quite a while.

Recently on FACEBOOK, I posted a picture of a large bowl of Ranch Pasta Salad I had made.  Several friends wanted the "recipe" (as if there was such a thing), so I decided to provide some details on how I make the salad & since I have not posted on my blog in some time, I thought I would provide information at both sources.

BILL'S BIG BAMBOO RANCH PASTA SALAD

 SALAD CONTENTS:  Found in several places in my home ...

 The pantry

 

Storage jars 

 

 The refrigerator

 

PREPARATION:  Ingredients found & included are: Onions [green & sweet], White Shoepeg Corn, Water Chestnuts, Bell Pepper, Black Olives & Broccoli. There are numerous varieties of Ranch Dressing, including reduced fat.  Pick one you like.  [The bottle shown is a "spicy" variety.]  Any pasta size/shape will do.  NOTE: The tomatoes in the photograph are for another meal.

 There are other items in the pantry which can be included.  It just depends on the desired outcome.

Drain & chop the items other than the corn & broccoli. The corn doesn't need it & the broccoli I like to "blanch" a bit before including it in the mix.

 COOKING: Cook the pasta per the standard directions

 Just before the pasta is ready to take off the heat, I put in the broccoli to "soften" it a bit. [I love broccoli, but I don't like the feeling I'm in the South yard, eating rough weeds & bushes.]

 I rinse off the pasta to cool it down a bit & stop the cooking process.

THE FINAL STEP:  Everything is ready to be combined in one bowl.  Salt & pepper to taste.

The finished product ... ready to be served, with plenty available for "left-overs".  [Two spoons; one for stirring;one for "sampling".]

ENJOY !!

A GARDEN TOUR

Despite weather forecasts each day for the past week or so with the "potential" for rain, it was only until this morning that my area of the state received more than a few minutes of a rain shower.  The forecasts have always had the terms "isolated" or "scattered" for potential rain. This past Monday & Tuesday, Little Rock experienced some afternoon "scattered" showers that caused city streets to flood.  Where I live ... zilch as far as rain.

So the limited amount of rain this A.M. at least cleared the air, settled some dust & made for a beautiful afternoon of walking my property & enjoying my the splendor of my land.

I am going to share some of my "foliage", all of which I have added/planted since arriving here in 1996.  PLEASE NOTE: Photos which include me serve two purposes; 1] I am used as an indicator of the size of the plant being highlighted ... and 2]  The photo can be used to send in a letter to my Mother in Florida, since she loves photos of her Little Billy.

 One of my larger bamboo groves, containing Phyllostachys vivax.  Some of these "culms" -- the name used for individual bamboo stalks -- are about 50 foot high. Also -- as I have noted in previous postings on this blog -- most bamboo's do not have common names.  I have to go with the scientific names for identification purposes.

 This is a grove of P. nigra 'henon'.  It is another LARGE growing bamboo & in older culms, in good sunlight, has a nice gray color to the culms.

 A different view of the same grove of P. nigra 'henon', as shown above.

 This bamboo is P.nigra 'bory'.  This species is noted for the molted pattern which develops on the culms.  [My plants have as not done so well, color wise.  The plants themselves grow good & strong, but their limited pattern is not worthy of a close-up photo.  I included this picture because of the white clouds & pretty blue colored sky.]

 This yellow colored bamboo actually did get part of a "common name".  This bamboo is P. viridis 'Robert Young'.  [I believe this was named after the scientist/plants man who identified/named this bamboo species.]

 This is another photo of the 'Robert Young'.  It's a large growing bamboo -- about 60 feet -- & with the yellow color & segments containing a thin vertical green line, is most impressive.  One of my favorite bamboos.

 This is the original species of black bamboo -- P. nigra -- from which the other sub-species are named.  The culms come up through the earth a bright green color in the Spring & by the end of the Summer, have changed to the color of their name.

This bamboo is called Pseudosasa japonica 'green onion'.  This plant -- which like many of my bamboo's, I bought via the Internet -- has been in the ground for about three years.  So far is has not done much in the way of growth ... either height or width.



Not all the bamboo I grow are "giants". This is Sasa palmata & has grown to it's full size in several plantings on my property. This is another of my favorites.

 

 Before I moved to Arkansas, I had a stronger interest in tropical plants.  As I have spent more & more time on landscaping, I have had less time for individual potted plants.  I have retained some Cycads -- growing in five gallon buckets -- which live in the front garden of my house & spend the Winter weather on my enclosed porch.

Finally on this "tour", one of the "Creeps" I planted along the front fence two years ago.  This Crape Mertle is developing good size & color, & along with the late Winter pruning I do to all my "Creeps" each year, is on it's way to developing into a beautiful tree.

I hope you enjoyed the "tour".

CRAPE MERTLES / "CREEP MERTLES"

Extreme weather seems to be the "normal" this year.  Currently there are distructive fires ravging the Western United States & parts of Florida are still flooded from tropical storm "Debby" which rained for several days last week.  Here in Central Arkansas, we are experiencing record temperatures -- for June, no less -- along with drought conditions through out the state. And this is just the start of Summer !!

Apparently this will be the Summer of high water bills for me from the Grand Prairie H2O District in Stuttgard, Arkansas ... my H2O provider.  Having lost (killed) plants & trees in past years due to a lack of watering on my part, I have determined this year I will water frequently & deep, to keep my landscape thriving during the heat & drought.  I have too much financially invested in the landscaping I have done through the years to let money -- well, MAJOR money H2O bills -- prevent me from watering my trees & plantings.

One of my favorite trees to plant has been the CRAPE MERTLE.  I currently have 33 planted on my property, with five more remaining in pots until weather conditions improve to put them in the ground.

As a youngster, living in Rochester, New York, I remember many times visiting Highland Park, world famous for the collection of LILACS, which through shape & color, look much like the Crape Mertles grown in the South. The major difference -- beyong the cooler growing temperatures needed by Lilacs -- is the strong, beautiful fragrance the Lilacs have & the Crape Mertles do not.  But, with our increadbly HOT Summers, I am more than satisfied with the beautiful display of colors the CREEP MERTLES provide, even minus a fragrance.

Okay.  Disclaimer time.  I did not mis-spell the name in the above sentence.  "Creep Mertles" is the name I use for these trees.  I have given "nick names" to various places & things on my property.  The large drainage ditch which floods with heavy rains, is called "MUDD CREEK".  The same rain storms bring "LAKE HILDA" -- named for my Mother -- to the front yard.  The many "Creep Mertles" are named for a dear, unrelated "sister" of mine.  Many reading this will know exactly who I mean, but probably not why they are named.

 Some of my older "Creeps", have been planted more than 15 years & have reached their maximun height of 18-25 feet.

 Along the fence, down at the road, the "Creep Trees" there have been planted for two years & are starting to have good growth & size.

 The above location -- when I take another photo in several weeks -- will be much more impressive since ALL the trees currently have buds on them & should put on an exciting color show come mid-July.

 The lush green grass in the photo above is a sure indicator this picture was taken beck in May of this year when I planted additional "Creeps" along the fence. 

Almost the same location of this shot, but the "Creep Mertles" -- while growing well -- are getting daily attention as to watering, both to get them started in the ground & to combat the EXTREME dry conditions we are under.  [That's a total of 250 feet of hose -- used to give each "Creep" a long/deep soaking, watering -- laying on the dry/partched grass.  Too bad/so sad ... I am NOT watering the grass.  This way there is less cutting with the J. Deere & savings on gasoline.]

I'll present another posting in a month or so, to give an up-dated view of the Summer color in my "CREEP MERTLES".

SUMMER TORTOISES

For the past several weeks -- once the cooler night temperatures remained in the 60 degree range -- my four tortoises began spending their time in the outdoor facility I have for them on my property.  With the benefits of warm weather, sunshine & plenty of room to move around, it is a pleasant time for both the tortoises & me.

The two animals featured in the photos below are South America RED FOOTED TORTOISES.  I acquired mine as small "hatching's" several years ago, & with the aid of the proper food & containment I provide, the growth of both tortoises has been outstanding. 

This above tortoise is about 12 inches long.  Not shown in the photo is the plate of food I have just put down for the tortoises "dinner" & which is the object of this fellows attention at the moment.

 Being a hungry guy -- it's amazing how much they do eat -- I believe the tortoise would walk over & "taste" the camera if he thought he could eat it.

The above tortoise is the smaller of the two RED FOOTS -- about 10 inches long -- & appears to be a female. In the above photo, she too has her eyes on the food tray as she exits from a pile of moist  bamboo leaves.

I have only made a serious effort in the past few years to keep tortoises, along with my collection of turtles. If their needs are met as to proper husbandry, tortoises -- especially these RED FOOTED TORTOISES -- make interesting additions to any reptile collection.



MORE COLOR CHANGES IN BAMBOO

I wrote about one of my favorite bamboos back on March the 21st of this year -- Phyllostochys Viridis 'Robert Young'. [Quick reminder: Many bamboos in cultivation do not have "common names".  In the case of this bamboo, the name is a combination of Latin & a former bamboo scientist being honored.]

This bamboo is a large grower.  I have some now reaching about 40 feet in height & thick enough for it to give my combined hands difficulty to encircle.  It matures at a bright yellow color, with many sections having a green vertical stripe.

 In the Spring growing season -- just now coming to a close in my gardens -- bamboo 'Robert Young' provides me with some of the prettiest contrast of color.  This is a bamboo which under goes a color change in it's first year of any new growth.  As seen in these photos, the emerging new clums are a very delicate, lime green in color. 

The new shoots will -- over the Summer -- begin changing to their permanent yellow color.  This is one bamboo I wish would remain it's Spring time color.

I have never seen any species of bamboo which retains this early growth, lime green color.  Perhaps someday, some scientist will develop, through cross-breeding bamboo, a species which will permanently grace our bamboo gardens with this fine lime green color ... all year round.

ANOTHER ... COLOR OF MY BAMBOO

Here is a bamboo I have not featured previously:  BLACK BAMBOO.  Yes ... bamboo with a common name, not some fancy Latin name only.

I have this bamboo growing along the front of my house. Planted several years ago, it has now developed into an effective "vision barrier". Certainly more colorful & lasting than some form of manufactured fencing.

BLACK BAMBOO is another species which changes color in it's first year of growth.  This photo shows the green clums which have sprouted up this Spring.  Looking closely, you will see the previous years growth which has developed the rich black color this bamboo is named for.  The change in color of the new growth occurs at the end of the first Summer, when the entire grove of bamboo will be black. Then next Spring, the new green growth -- & mixture of colors -- will begin again.

And -- just for the record, along with those who "need to know" -- the proper name for this plant is PHYLLOSTACHY NIGRA 'BLACK'.  Most plant nurseries which sell it list it as growing to a height of about 35 feet.  My plants are just about that tall.

SOME SMALLER BAMBOO

While many times on this blog I have featured the various larger sizes of bamboo I grow here in Central Arkansas, I have several other species of bamboo which in no way are as majestic as my "giants", but still offer me the grace, color & enjoyment all bamboo provides me.

The photo below -- which includes my sweet "Momma Kitty", PRECIOUS -- is a bamboo species called SASA PALMATA.  As you can tell, this is NOT a very large growing bamboo, only averaging about five to six feet in height.  It makes a nice "boarder" planting & -- like all bamboo I grow -- is evergreen through out the year; something to appreciate in the dead of Winter.

I acquired this plant in 2006 from LEWIS BAMBOO via mail order back in March, 2006.  I purchased TWO plants at the time & the area we are standing in front of represents the growth since then of just ONE plant.  Like most "running bamboo", the SASA PALMATA is an "aggressive grower" each year & must be "controlled" if it is to remain ... "tamed".  Thankfully this can be done with a lawnmower; cutting down the new growth as it appears in the Spring.  Older growth can be removed/thinned with a "weed eater".

Bamboo -- of all sizes -- plays a major role in the landscaping of my property & I enjoy all of it, from the 50-60 foot "giants", to the smaller sizes, as I have featured today.

BIGGER ... BIG BAMBOO

The warmer than normal, earlier than normal weather this year has affected ALL the bamboo growth on my property/ "bamboo farm".  The early Spring has advanced the annual bamboo growing season by several weeks. Since Spring is the time of year when over 90% of NEW bamboo growth occurs, I am seeing some impressive bamboo growth much sooner than ... ah ... "normal".

The above photo shows some of the new growth occurring in one of my groves of Phyllostachys Vivax. [Remember, most bamboo's do NOT have a "common name".]  This species grows about 50 feet high in my garden & the large, rapid & colorful new growth is highly anticipated each Spring. That growth just came a bit earlier for me this year.

COLOR IN BAMBOO

I've recently tried to recall when & how it was I developed an interest in growing bamboo.  I really believe it was many years ago on a trip to Colombia, South America.  It was there that I was exposed to some real GIANTS of the bamboo world & the impression of the beauty & strength of this plant has stayed with me ever since.

Bamboo comes in all shapes & colors.  In my "garden" I have bamboo which grows only a few inches larger than a foot in height, with other bamboo species more than 50 foot tall.  As well as green, I have bamboo in the colors of gray, yellow, white & even black.  With bamboo, there really is ... "something for everyone".

Some of my favorite bamboo is in the genus Phyllostachys. [Sorry ... I have never found a "common name" mentioned.]  Two examples from my bamboo collection are shown in the photo included & both offer a good idea of some of the "colors" found in the larger bamboos.

The green bamboo on the right is Phyllostachys Vivax. The clums (cains) have a brilliant green color, with a small white stripe at each segment.  The yellow plant is Phyllostochys Viridis 'Robert Young' ... named after some bamboo scientist,
NOT the movie star, who was later in the TV show Father Knows Best.  The latter bamboo emerges for the ground each spring as a light, lime green color & as the clum grows, turns yellow, with some segments having a bright green stripe.

As you can see, I have "color" all year long on my four acres of land thanks to my bamboo.

IT'S JUST BAMBOO

This photo, which shows the growth of the first bamboo to come up here on my property this year & which I discussed in my last post, is starting to "slant" as it gets taller.  Normally bamboo grows (mostly) straight up when it emerges from the ground. I have had bamboo where one or more stalks in a flush of bamboo will be ... "off kilter".  I have not seem so many clums all behave this way previously.

Since we have had such an early start to our warm Spring weather this year -- it's still officially Winter on the calender -- it is causing this bamboo to start it's growth cycle early. My theory is that the position of the sun in the sky may have some effect on the posture of the bamboo; as if the clums (stalks) are "reaching" toward a sun, which would normally be higher on the horizon, when the new shoots sprout in the TRUE Spring !!  For now, that's my semi-professional bamboo grower explanation for the "leaning bamboo".

Of course, if at some point I decide I don't care for the look of the curving bamboo -- assuming it will not straighten up, ah, "normally" -- well then, I can always just cut it down & wait for the next seasons growth.  After all ... it's just bamboo.

THE NEW BAMBOO

As it does every Spring -- or even this year, when it is still officially Winter -- the MOSO Bamboo is the first species of bamboo in my collection to send up new growth to start the bamboo growing season. The warmer than normal temperatures & frequent rain we have experienced this year in Central Arkansas have been ideal for this bamboo to begin sending up new cains ... officially called "clums".

This photo shows an area where I previously cut & removed the "old" clums of bamboo.  Since so much of any bamboo growth is directed underground, the previous "cleaning" of this bamboo grove does not effect the new growth.

While I planted this bamboo at this spot several years ago, the bamboo really has not increased dramatically in size. I have added the work glove to give some idea of the plants actual size as it comes from the ground at this location.  I will provide some up-dated photos in the near future as this batch of bamboo continues to grow this Spring.

BAMBOO TIME -- AGAIN -- IN ARKANSAS

Spring time is when the majority of bamboo species begin their yearly growth.  Unlike trees & bushes in the garden, bamboo grows to it's full height & diameter in it's first growing season. Growth in coming years will only be to replace leaves. The stalks of bamboo will not get bigger or taller.

With the non-Winter we have had in Arkansas -- & in just about all the other parts of the U.S. -- the growing season for everything on my property has started earlier than in other years. [Question:  Will this Winter, with it's lack of cold weather & snow, be the "new normal" ??  Check back next year.]

Because in most years the first bamboo growth can begin (usually) in mid-March on my property, I have started making daily visits to the South end of my land.  This is where the species of bamboo -- common name MOSO ...  which is the first bamboo to sprout new growth in my yard in the Spring -- is planted.  With the warmer weather conditions, the first small "heads" of this bamboo are already poking through the earth. Certainly, earlier than "normal" at this time of the year.

All of the bamboo I grow -- 12 species -- is "cold hardy".  The green, gray, yellow & black colors of the bamboo really help to add "color" to my Winter time landscape.

However, one planting of bamboo does have me mystified to some degree. It has always appeared to be more sensitive to freezing temperatures & does not ... ah, "normally" ... due well in our Arkansas Winters.  But, since we have not had a Winter per say, it's growth this year does not seem to be affected.

 I don't have a specific name for this bamboo & I do not know exactly what species it is.  It is a "clumping bamboo", meaning it does not send out "runners" any further than the base of the plant.  Also, it's growth is always in late Summer/early Fall, making me believe it is a bamboo from the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed from those in Arkansas.

I acquired this bamboo at a roadside plant nursery in Florida, many years ago. There was not a complete identification for the plant, just a tag listing it as "Bamboo".  Well ... DUH.   Still, I liked the color -- it's yellow, with green stripes -- so I bought the plant & divided it into two groupings when I returned home & put it in the ground.

Most years, I would have many brown leaves & dead stalks with this bamboo at the beginning of March, all due to the cold weather of our Winter.  The bamboo would then spend much of the Spring & Summer "recovering", aided by all the cutting & trimming I would have to do to remove the dead growth.

This year both plantings of this bamboo show no dead stalks or leaves. No doubt our lack of freezing temperatures this Winter have been more to the liking of this bamboo. It will be interesting to see how the weather conditions of this past season manifest themselves in the future growth of this plant when the true "warmer weather" arrives.

JIMMY BUFFETT SINGS ABOUT MY LIFE

I've been a fan of Jimmy Buffett for many years. I've written about my feelings previously.  Of course, I liked him & his music before he made it BIG & everyone now knows who he is.  Good for Jimmy, but I still like his (much) older song's & music; his tunes that often seem like they were written with my life in mind.

I've been spending a lot of time recently on my FACEBOOK pages, adding old photos & information to the new "Timeline" feature of FACEBOOK.  It's fun to add black & white photos, many of them almost 50 years old.  [That certainly is a "timeline".] 

One photo I found -- from LONG AGO -- gave me mixed thoughts about adding it to my FACEBOOK pages. I have not been fully supportive of my own emotions in making the photo available to my friends who view my pages.

So ... instead I am going to "publish" it here -- on my blog -- for the world to have access to the photo & then decide later if the photo -- & the story behind it  -- is worth sharing on FACEBOOK.

Yes ... I realize many of my FACEBOOK friends look at my blog, but still the photo will only reach a few people I share FACEBOOK with.

Here it goes ------

Circa 1968 ... this is a photo of me ... with MY WIFE !!!  As Jimmy Buffett sings ... "I got married too early ... cost me much more than a ring".

For now ... just the photo.  Later, "the story" behind the photo -- & the wife -- will appear either on this blog ... or FACEBOOK ... or both.

Yep ... Jimmy sings about MY LIFE.

DUST COLLECTORS

It's a good day for indoor activities & I am taking advantage of it.  Despite the sun & bright blue sky's, the temperature has just now inched it's way above 32 degrees & the forecast is for it to not get too much warmer.  Later today the clouds are to arrive, bringing with them the first measurable snow of 2012.  Oh joy.

Each time I have ventured outside today, I have made sure to wear something warm, to shield me from the cold & especially the wind, which no doubt increases the feeling of cold due to the wind chill factor. [No ... I was not wearing a PLAID coat.  Sorry, don't have one.]

I am cleaning out the closet in my home office; tossing out stuff I don't need, can't remember why I had saved, &/or just moving stuff to gain more room ... for paper/pens/markers, etc.  You know the drill.

On the top shelf of the closet I found some "awards" I have received in my ... "previous life", which would be when I held down a job & when I was a bit involved with a few activities not just centered on me, which is the (selfish) life style I have now.

I'm not sure what I will do with the "awards".  I certainly don't plan on needing them any time soon to add to a resume.  I don't really want to put them on the wall or take up space on any shelves.  They may take a trip to the burn pit, since they serve little purpose at this point in my life.

I am including photos, just so my readers will know what I was "given" to recognize some sort of "achievement" I obtained:

 Ah ... good old MAYBELLINE.  The company got almost 34 years of my life & is the reason I have  ended up in Arkansas.  The above "award" was for leading the implementation of electronic invoicing with Target Stores.  Faster payments.  [Quicker deductions as well.  Oops, bummer.]

 I'm two for two, with another MAYBELLINE "award". I can't remember if there was any "cash" accompanying these certificates, but both where probably the highlight of my final years at the company.  I got this one for helping with the new distribution system. It was mostly downhill for me after that.

 When I lived in Memphis, Tennessee, I was a regular volunteer for the local blood donation company -- LIFE BLOOD.  I gave over four gallons of blood before I relocated to the Little Rock area.  I would get phone calls at work telling me my blood type was needed & it was a great excuse to go to my boss to let him know I was taking the remainder of the day off & going to donate. [I had to "rest" after giving blood. Too strenuous to go back to work. Plus, I got cookies.]

The final find on the top shelf of the closet is the above plaque I got from the Board of Directors of the condo complex I lived in & which I served as Vice President on the board for 15 years. [Unlike politicians, I had no desire to be President of the board.  Too much work involved.]

I've got all these "dust collectors" in a pile on one of the office tables.  I'll decide in the next few days -- after the big snow ...?? -- what to do with them.